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Lumos observes World Aids Day
1 December 2011
Lumos is joining hundreds of NGOs and individuals across the globe in marking World Aids Day today (1 December).
Since its inception in 1987, World Aids Day has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to commemorate those who have passed away and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. The day also presents a reminder to governments and communities to take action to raise vital funds to increase access to and advance treatment services and improve education around the issue amongst other goals.
Each year the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee selects a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organisations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response. The theme for this year's World Aids Day is ‘Getting to Zero', a campaign which will run until 2015 that will focus on three goals: zero new HIV infections; zero discrimination; zero AIDS-related deaths.
According to the UNAIDS 2010 report, there are an estimated 2.5 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV globally. Countless more children's lives are severely affected when the disease kills family members and loved ones.
Thousands of children across the European region are affected by HIV/AIDS, and many of these children are unnecessarily isolated in institutions rather than being looked after by their extended families or communities. Long-term institutionalisation damages children's health and development. It reduces their life chances and denies them a happy and secure childhood.
Georgette Mulheir, Chief Executive of Lumos says: "Ill health - alongside poverty, disability and ethnicity - is one of the main reasons that children are sent to large, residential institutions, far away from their families. The World Aids Day 2011 theme of ‘zero discrimination' is particularly resonant to our work. We aim to put an end to the systematic institutionalisation of children from vulnerable groups; working with Governments and practitioners to transform health, education and family- and community-based social care services."
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