In 1981 the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported a rare lung infection, pneumocystis carinii, in five young men. They died within the year – more cases of this rare lung infection began to emerge around the country.
So it began.
When AIDS first emerged, no–one could have predicted how the epidemic would spread across the world and how many millions of lives it would change. Since 1981, 25 million people have died from AIDS and today 38.6 million adults are HIV positive. This generation has seen the epidemic knock decades off countries’ national development, widen the gulf between rich and poor nations and push already–stigmatized groups closer to the margins of society. The international society in which we live has witnessed AIDS become the first truly ‘international’ epidemic, easily marching across oceans and international borders.
While we hunt for a vaccine, people continue to die from AIDS or the drugs intended to treat it.
World AIDS Day has a special place in the history of the AIDS pandemic. Since 1988, December 1st has been a day bringing messages of compassion, hope, and solidarity all over the world. Since 2002 a group of committed individuals in Collin County came together to support the same effort here in North Texas . Over the past 4 years North Texas has seen an increase in the number of HIV/AIDS cases making the commemoration of World AIDS Day even more critical in our community. It remains our hope that we will be able to obtain the support of the local business community, civic leaders and parents in our efforts to promote World AIDS Day and increase HIV/AIDS awareness. For the past 6 years this group has brought to North Texas portions of the internationally recognized AIDS Memorial Quilt (www.aidsquilt.org ) for display and public viewing. The AIDS Memorial Quilt brings a message of life lost and a message of remembrance of life lived.
While AIDS has reached its 25+ year mark on this generation we are no closer to finding a cure than when it first began. Millions continue to die from AIDS and HIV cases continue to increase. Therefore, we must continue every effort to ensure that the fight against HIV/AIDS remains in the forefront in our community.
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