World AIDS Day: The Kick Off To Global Health Initiatives

In 1981 the first cases of AIDs were reported. A mere eight years later, World AIDs Day became the first global health day. It is hard to believe that there is now a very large and extensive list of global health days that can be found on the United Nations website.

Only four years after first being reported was the disease identified. Since that point in time there have been over 35 million deaths. It is hard to believe that there are now a handful of drugs to help manage the disease

Less than 20 years after the first reported cases of AIDs Partners In Health began a program to provide free and comprehensive treatment of AIDS/HIV known as the HIV Equity Initiative.

Although it’s been almost 40 years since the first case was reported there are still thousands of people diagnosed every year with the World Health Organization aiming to eliminate AIDs come 2030.

This World AIDs Day join Partners In Health Canada Spark as we recognize the lengths and advancements that have been made to healthcare for all. World AIDs Day is a reminder that, although progress, education, treatment and destigmatization have all been crucial in the work towards a cure for AIDs, there is still so much progress left to make.

The first goal in terms of eliminating AIDs involves the 90–90–90 rule by 2020. This meaning that 90 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 90 percent of HIV-positive people receive treatment, and 90 percent of those stay on effective treatment so that their viral loads are maintained at undetectable levels.

2020 is fast approaching! So is 2019! And so are many more global health days! Let’s use December 1, 2018 as the kick off date to recognize how much World AIDs Day has brought attention to the field of global health. Partners In Health Canada Spark will be recognizing World Human Rights Day on December 10th, Universal Health Coverage Day on December 12th and Global Solidarity Day on December 20th. World AIDs Day is the kick off to a month of global health initiatives.

Let’s use World AIDs Day as a day of celebration of how far we have come in less than 50 years keeping in mind all of the work that is still possible. Stick with us over the next few years as more content from Global Health Initiatives becomes available.