End isolation. End stigma. End HIV transmission. World AIDS Day is approaching this Friday, December 1, and this year’s theme is #LetsEndIt.
What is World AIDS Day?
World AIDS Day is a global health day that takes place every year on December 1. According to the National AIDS Trust, it’s an “opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.” World AIDS Day was founded almost 30 years ago in 1988 and was the ‘first ever global health day.’
Why It’s Important
There are an estimated 36.7 million people living with the HIV virus globally, according to the National AIDS Trust in the UK. They also stated that more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS since being identified a short time ago in 1984–making it one of the ‘most destructive pandemics in history.’
How AMSA Members Can Get Involved
AMSA’s AIDS Advocacy Network Campaign leaders have been working alongside our friends at Health GAP to fight to preserve funding to end Global AIDS. Advocate for universal access to life-saving treatment for people with HIV by making calls to Senators Bob Corker (TN), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Jerry Moran (KS), and Susan Collins (ME) to kill the tax bill that would lead to devastating cuts to global health funding. You can use Health GAP’s click to call page or call (347) 673-0934 to be automatically connected to Congress. Use the script below to get started:
“Hi, my name is _______ and I am a medical student at [insert school] and a member of the American Medical Student Association. We care a lot about global health equity and ending the AIDS epidemic, and we have chapters across [insert state], and all over the country. We are concerned that the proposed tax legislation will lead to devastating cuts to global health funding. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates a $1.5 trillion increase in debt over the next decade which puts non-defense discretionary funding, including foreign aid and global AIDS funding in particular, under threat. I urge you to oppose tax legislation that increases deficits and risks even deeper cuts to important programs like PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.”
You can also join the campaign online. Spread awareness and show your support on social media using the hashtag #LetsEndIt and don’t forget to tag @AMSANational on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
We hope you’ll join AMSA in the fight against HIV and negative impact of the virus. Visit National AIDS Trust’s website for more information and for ways you can get involved this World AIDS Day.
Are you doing something on your campus or within your community to support World AIDS Day? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
