President Bush signed an extension of PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) yesterday, tripling the amount committed to AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis over the next three years. When Bush spoke about this in his State of the Union address during his first term in office, it was a historic moment for the fight against AIDS, being the largest ever monetary commitment by a US President to this cause. By expanding the amount committed and lowering the stipulations applied, Bush is, despite his many flaws in foreign policy, showing the possibility of what a truly compassionate, redemptive, and hopeful foreign policy could look like.
-Read the AP article here.
-Michael Gerson's op-ed piece on the topic in yesterday's Washington Post
Showing posts with label AIDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AIDS. Show all posts
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
UN significantly revises AIDS estimates
9 days until World AIDS Day
Each day of the month leading up to World AIDS Day, I'll be posting some sort of resource, thoughts or action for you to use.
The UN has long been accused of inflating the number of AIDS infections in order to try and get more funding, public support, etc. Their most recent report, released just yesterday, helps to deflate some of those accusations by...deflating the number of infections reported.
Most significantly, they've dropped the estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS from over 40 million to 33.3 million. And they attribute this not to better containment of the virus but instead to better methods of gathering data.
You can read more about this at The Economist.
or by taking a look at the UN Report Press Release.
So this is good news, in a weird way. Not good news that we've had bad information the last few years. But good news that we're figuring out better ways to research and good news that ultimately fewer people have AIDS, need treated, or can spread it to others.
Each day of the month leading up to World AIDS Day, I'll be posting some sort of resource, thoughts or action for you to use.
The UN has long been accused of inflating the number of AIDS infections in order to try and get more funding, public support, etc. Their most recent report, released just yesterday, helps to deflate some of those accusations by...deflating the number of infections reported.
Most significantly, they've dropped the estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS from over 40 million to 33.3 million. And they attribute this not to better containment of the virus but instead to better methods of gathering data.
You can read more about this at The Economist.
or by taking a look at the UN Report Press Release.
So this is good news, in a weird way. Not good news that we've had bad information the last few years. But good news that we're figuring out better ways to research and good news that ultimately fewer people have AIDS, need treated, or can spread it to others.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
a different angle...
day 10...
so this isn't directly related, though it sort of is.
found a very cool site today that helps you expand your vocabulary. while at the same time providing food for people who need it.
www.freerice.com
try it out. it's interesting. and worthwhile. highest i've scored is level 40 (check the faq for scoring explanation). and in the process i've given away a lot of rice.
food and AIDS are tied together in the sense that countries that are part of the developing world usually have a whole host of symptons, including AIDS, poverty, hunger, medical, economy, etc problems that work as a vicious cycle, never allowing a critical mass of the population to establish themselves in such a way as to bring about substantive, sustainable change. that's why when we partner with people, we must think of it in a wholistic way, that addresses the breadth of their physical needs, the depth of their spiritual needs, and that acknowledges that all parties bring knowledge to the table and that we'll all walk away as better people in better situations if we're willing to learn.
enjoy expanding your vocabulary!
so this isn't directly related, though it sort of is.
found a very cool site today that helps you expand your vocabulary. while at the same time providing food for people who need it.
www.freerice.com
try it out. it's interesting. and worthwhile. highest i've scored is level 40 (check the faq for scoring explanation). and in the process i've given away a lot of rice.
food and AIDS are tied together in the sense that countries that are part of the developing world usually have a whole host of symptons, including AIDS, poverty, hunger, medical, economy, etc problems that work as a vicious cycle, never allowing a critical mass of the population to establish themselves in such a way as to bring about substantive, sustainable change. that's why when we partner with people, we must think of it in a wholistic way, that addresses the breadth of their physical needs, the depth of their spiritual needs, and that acknowledges that all parties bring knowledge to the table and that we'll all walk away as better people in better situations if we're willing to learn.
enjoy expanding your vocabulary!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
defining & history
day 8
Each day of the month leading up to World AIDS Day, I'll be posting some sort of resource, thoughts or action for you to use.
Quote of the day:
"It's a very human virus, a very human epidemic. It touches right to the heart of our existence," says Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS. "When you think of it, that in let's say 25 years, about 70 million people have become infected with this virus, probably coming from one [transmission] ... it's mind blowing."
-from Frontline's Age of AIDS
some oft-asked questions:
HIV/AIDS: what's the difference?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune defenses and ultimately causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) if left untreated. By weakening the immune system, HIV opens the doors for a variety of other health issues to develop. When the immune system is weakened significantly, AIDS is the result.
you can find a more complete explanation here
I've heard it called a "pandemic". What's the difference between a "pandemic" and an "epidemic"?
An epidemic is a virus that affects a specific group of people. A pandemic is also a virus, and is both contagious and widespread.
an official definition can be found here
Where did HIV come from?
The latest research, coming out just this past May, extends the knowledge about the origin of HIV. HIV is a developed form of a disease found in chimpanzees in Cameroon, originally transmitted through usage as food (contracted possibly by hunters or slaves). This probably happened sometime in the 1930's. From there it was spread in a variety of ways, with the first cases in the US and France being determined to be a distinct health issue in 1981. By the time that the first case was diagnosed in the US, hundreds of thousands of people were already infected by the time the first case was officially diagnosed in Africa, millions were infected.
The Frontline video has an excellent summary of this history. Avert.org also has a good description.
Each day of the month leading up to World AIDS Day, I'll be posting some sort of resource, thoughts or action for you to use.
Quote of the day:
"It's a very human virus, a very human epidemic. It touches right to the heart of our existence," says Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS. "When you think of it, that in let's say 25 years, about 70 million people have become infected with this virus, probably coming from one [transmission] ... it's mind blowing."
-from Frontline's Age of AIDS
some oft-asked questions:
HIV/AIDS: what's the difference?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune defenses and ultimately causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) if left untreated. By weakening the immune system, HIV opens the doors for a variety of other health issues to develop. When the immune system is weakened significantly, AIDS is the result.
you can find a more complete explanation here
I've heard it called a "pandemic". What's the difference between a "pandemic" and an "epidemic"?
An epidemic is a virus that affects a specific group of people. A pandemic is also a virus, and is both contagious and widespread.
an official definition can be found here
Where did HIV come from?
The latest research, coming out just this past May, extends the knowledge about the origin of HIV. HIV is a developed form of a disease found in chimpanzees in Cameroon, originally transmitted through usage as food (contracted possibly by hunters or slaves). This probably happened sometime in the 1930's. From there it was spread in a variety of ways, with the first cases in the US and France being determined to be a distinct health issue in 1981. By the time that the first case was diagnosed in the US, hundreds of thousands of people were already infected by the time the first case was officially diagnosed in Africa, millions were infected.
The Frontline video has an excellent summary of this history. Avert.org also has a good description.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
how does AIDS work?
day 3:
last year in preparation for our church's push on World AIDS Day i did a lot of research on how HIV/AIDS goes about destroying peoples immune systems. the following few links provide what i think are the best overviews:
easy explanation with illustrations:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/biology_of_aids/html/default.stm
more complex explanation with animation:
http://www.galaxygoo.org/biochem/hiv/hiv_lifecycle.html
last year in preparation for our church's push on World AIDS Day i did a lot of research on how HIV/AIDS goes about destroying peoples immune systems. the following few links provide what i think are the best overviews:
easy explanation with illustrations:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/biology_of_aids/html/default.stm
more complex explanation with animation:
http://www.galaxygoo.org/biochem/hiv/hiv_lifecycle.html
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
World AIDS Day...the one month countdown
last year i tried to post on my xanga site (wow...i'd forgotten that it was that recent that i used xanga) every day in the month prior to World AIDS Day to help educate and bring awareness to World AIDS Day.
i didn't succeed every day, but i did learn a lot in the process.
so this year, i'm taking another stab at it. i think i'll do better. though i'm going to be without internet access for the next two days, i think, so we may be off to a rough start.
World AIDS Day: December 1st, 2007
today you can...
-join the event on facebook (which has a handy list of ways to participate in the coming weeks)
-start thinking about how you want to participate (maybe using the above mentioned handy list)
more to come in the coming days...
i didn't succeed every day, but i did learn a lot in the process.
so this year, i'm taking another stab at it. i think i'll do better. though i'm going to be without internet access for the next two days, i think, so we may be off to a rough start.
World AIDS Day: December 1st, 2007
today you can...
-join the event on facebook (which has a handy list of ways to participate in the coming weeks)
-start thinking about how you want to participate (maybe using the above mentioned handy list)
more to come in the coming days...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
4 months from now
is World AIDS Day (December 1st, 2007).
Now this might seem like a long time. But I suppose it depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to wear a ribbon and say a prayer, check back here on November 30 for a reminder. But if you want to mobilize those around you to love, act, care, respond to this international crisis, it's probably an appropriate time to start dreaming, planning, and begin being proactive.
You might wonder where you can even begin. Well, here's some good beginnings...
Start by watching The Age of AIDS, a brilliant documentary put together by PBS that is able to be viewed in its entirety online. While long (clocking in at right around 4 hours), it is broken up into nice little 15 minute-ish chunks that you could watch on a lunch break or before you go to work or go to bed every day. Not only will you walk away with a much greater grasp of the HIV/AIDS dilemna from all angles, but it also might educate your path of response.
Next, check out the World AIDS Campaign home online, which has a host of resources and highlights the theme for this year's day: leadership.
If you desire to address the topic from a Christian worldview, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a great place to start looking for religiously themed resources and inspiration, as is Saddleback Church's efforts in this area, including a well-resourced Summit on HIV/AIDS issues at the end of November.
That's probably a good enough start for the moment. As we get closer, I'll continue to put more resources, thoughts, and discussion starters up here to spur on our thought. If you're looking for more ideas on what to do, drop me an email or leave a comment and I'll get in touch...with other online resources, with ideas from things I've tried in the past, with connections to other people pursuing this day of awareness.
Now this might seem like a long time. But I suppose it depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to wear a ribbon and say a prayer, check back here on November 30 for a reminder. But if you want to mobilize those around you to love, act, care, respond to this international crisis, it's probably an appropriate time to start dreaming, planning, and begin being proactive.
You might wonder where you can even begin. Well, here's some good beginnings...
Start by watching The Age of AIDS, a brilliant documentary put together by PBS that is able to be viewed in its entirety online. While long (clocking in at right around 4 hours), it is broken up into nice little 15 minute-ish chunks that you could watch on a lunch break or before you go to work or go to bed every day. Not only will you walk away with a much greater grasp of the HIV/AIDS dilemna from all angles, but it also might educate your path of response.
Next, check out the World AIDS Campaign home online, which has a host of resources and highlights the theme for this year's day: leadership.
If you desire to address the topic from a Christian worldview, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a great place to start looking for religiously themed resources and inspiration, as is Saddleback Church's efforts in this area, including a well-resourced Summit on HIV/AIDS issues at the end of November.
That's probably a good enough start for the moment. As we get closer, I'll continue to put more resources, thoughts, and discussion starters up here to spur on our thought. If you're looking for more ideas on what to do, drop me an email or leave a comment and I'll get in touch...with other online resources, with ideas from things I've tried in the past, with connections to other people pursuing this day of awareness.
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