Today is World AIDs Day.

Every now and then bloggers around the world unite to blog about a pressing issue of our day. And AIDs is just as big a challenge that we face today as global warming, poverty and war.

Some of the statistics about the scale of aids are just staggering:-

• People living with HIV/AIDS globally – 33.0 million
• Adults living with HIV/AIDS – 30.8 million
• Women living with HIV/AIDS – 15.5 million
• Children living with HIV/AIDS – 2.0 million
• People newly infected with HIV in 2007 – 2.7 million
• Children newly infected with HIV in 2007 – 0.37 million
• AIDS deaths in 2007 – 2.0 million
• Child AIDS deaths in 2007 – 0.27 million
• More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.
• Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans.
• At the end of 2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 59% in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide.
• In developing and transitional countries, 9.7 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.99 million (31%) are receiving the drugs.

So it really is time for us all to wake up to the scale of the problem.

Here are some useful links to check out to learn about Aids / HIV and of course how to take greater care:-

1. HIV / AIDs awareness day

2. Learn about the link between drugs and aids.

3. Video series to show how even non-injection drugs can lead to HIV.

There is so much ignorance about Aids and I really hope the awareness day today helps spread the word extensively. It is about educating others and supporting those who already have contracted it.

Coincidentally, last Thursday I met this amazing lady Getrude Matshe, originally from Zimbabwe who is working relentlessly hard to help the aids affected children in Africa.

As for what you can do, just be aware of the dangers of contracting AIDs and also show great understanding and acceptance of anyone who is HIV positive.

What else will you do?