UK Observe
World AIDS Day to Raise Awareness and Curb AIDS Epidemic
By Dr Raghbir
Singh Bains
Chandigarh, Nov. 30, 2008
Gurmeet Singh
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a chronic illness
caused by infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). It
is an incurable disease. It is caused by the virus that kills
T4 cells of the immune system. Youth are more vulnerable. However,
anybody can get AIDS from use of even one contaminated needle
or one sexual encounter with a partner who has HIV/AIDS. Despite
growing understanding and awareness, HIV infection is a serious
threat to both heterosexuals and homosexuals. It is transmitted
through exchange of certain bodily fluids such as blood, semen,
vaginal secretions, and breast milk. The virus is transmittable
from an infected mother to the child also. To produce an infection,
the virus must pass through the skin, blood or mucous membranes
into the body. However, the HIV infection is preventable. It is
not a contagious disease and prevailing myths about this disease
need to be understood and clearly explained.
There is an alarming rise in the menace of drugs and HIV-AIDS
world over. After Africa, Asian countries especially India is
right on the pin target of this deadly disease. It seems as if
most people are just burying their heads in sand and have long
been silent about HIV/AIDS. Such silence and complacency is dangerous
since HIV/AIDS does not respect any religion, caste, colour, creed
or culture. Abusive drugs are worst enemy of the society. Licit
and illicit drugs are killing people all over the globe. Around
45 million people are suffering from the deadly disease of HIV-AIDS
in the world. More than 15,000 patients of AIDS are dying every
day and thousands are born or acquire this deadly disease with
the morning light of the sun. Because of the social stigma, discrimination,
prejudice and adverse attitudes, the widows / widowers and children
of the dead do not get social acceptance in the society anywhere
in the world. Their health and life is not considered important
because of the paucity of funds, mismanagement and proper commitment
towards prevention which is better than cure. Neglected they die
in their homes untreated. Because this disease is not curable
hence abstention and prevention are the only solutions.
Drugs and AIDS are brutal monsters that have killed hundreds
and thousands of lives in India also. AIDS is a high risk disease
and a serious epidemic which is said to have started from either
Africa or America. Its first case was detected during1981 in the
world. In India, it was first noticed in 1986. Within two decades
it has engulfed the world over. It kills indiscriminately. It
is an evil-omened experiment of mental pollution, illicit sexing
and drugging which carries death sentence. Unfortunately, no body
is bullet proof to this ill-omened disease. Young boys and girls
between the ages of 15-24 years are more vulnerable to this killer
disease. Especially the youth, commit evil under the sway of rotten
emotions. The epidemic is invisible to them. While developing
sexual contacts before marital and extramarital relationship,
they are not able to comprehend fully the extent of their exposure
to the deadly risk. Unfortunately, the youth are becoming easy
prey to the disease which is incurable in the world so far.
The major transmission of the disease is through licit or illicit
sex, drugging and exchange of needles. There is a dire call for
the youth to ‘say no’ to the peerpressure and to stay
away from glamour of drugs, contaminated syringes and illicit
sexing. It is a timely caution that drug abuse or premature or
promiscuous sexual activity must be seen as a serious risk behaviour.
The youth needs to mend the high risk performance of chancy activities.
Without preventive measures, the disease would kill more people
To clean the society of such evils, the governments, health departments,
community based organizations, faith organizations, groups of
individuals, socio-religious bodies, teachers, preachers and parents
would need to take immediate steps to raise awareness and address
the pandemic of social evils before anything serious happens to
the human race. There is an urgent need to divulge information
to the young and vulnerale students in the academic institutions
through internet and multimedia technology on the evils of drugs,
rapes, prostitution, HIV-AIDS, domestic violence, foeticide and
world peace.
Taking all these aspects into consideration and as a step ahead,
awareness rallies, seminars, forums and interactive workshops
need to be organized to provide first hand information to the
vulnerable youth about the menace of the epidemic. These steps
would build up great impact upon the participants as they will
get the knowledge they never had before. Answers to the frequently
asked questions / myths on Drugs and AIDS have to be aired and
circulated in the public through information technology and print
media.
The initiatives to be taken by the respective governments and
socio-religious organizations against social evils and their carriers
would need to be aimed positively at curbing them and spreading
awareness on drugs, ongoing prevention, reducing barriers to early
diagnosis of HIV / AIDS infection and increasing access to quality
medical service amongst youth and general public.
Since 1988, World AIDS Day is observed every year all over the
world on December 1 to create awareness and improve education
about AIDS pandemic. It is an important event to draw attention
of the public to fight against the disease and to end the epidemic
of HIV-AIDS. It is also expected of each and every institution
/ organization to participate, support and spearhead the campaign
against the deadly disease by wearing red ribbons and AIDS awareness
bracelets. Let every body make a difference!
Dr Raghbir Singh Bains OBC is a social activist, an AIDS researcher
and a trained counsellor of drug addiction.
For Contact: CanadaTel: +604-599-1314, IndiaTel: +91-98761-13510
