World AIDS Day 2019
World AIDS Day 2019
A tear every 40 seconds. Because every 40 seconds someone, somewhere in the world, dies from the effects of AIDS. A child. A loved one. A friend. A mother. Because they don't know they have HIV. Because they don't have the money to go to a clinic. Because they receive no or wrong medication, and because a cure for HIV does not yet exist...
We need to stop the tears.
The fight is not over
1 December marks World AIDS Day. The day we commemorate the AIDS epidemic worldwide. And that is necessary. At this moment in time, life-saving medicines that enable people living with HIV to age in a healthy way already exists. Yet millions of people do not have access to these medicines. Over 32 million people died since the start of the AIDS epidemic. A new AIDS death is added every 40 seconds.
As a symbol of this sorrow, there is a special statue in the heart of Amsterdam from 1 to 7 December. The statue sheds a tear every 40 seconds. A tear for every woman, man or child who dies at that moment.
We need to push hard to end this epidemic and prevent unnecessary deaths. This includes improving access to medicines for all communities, including those marginalised. We need to lobby for policy changes to put AIDS on governments' agendas. We need to spread stories of victims and those stigmatised and discriminated against. We need to step up the fight to end this disease once and for all.