World HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Let Communities Lead
On February 3, 1989 during an official visit to the United States, Princess Diana went to see the Children’s Ward of a hospital in Harlem, New York City. The Princess met with several hospital officials but when she saw the children under hospital care, she was so moved that she embraced one little girl who had been laying in a hospital bed at the time. The image was captured by photographers and was circulated around the world.
What made this gesture by the Princess a monumental moment was that during this time, there was heightened stigma against persons living with HIV/AIDS and by embracing this child she helped to further prove that the disease could not be spread by casual contact. Prior to joining the Royal Family, Diana had worked with young children as a Teaching Assistant and had always expressed her love for them. And in that moment, people were able to see her core character as a mother and genuinely caring person.
As we celebrate World HIV AIDS Awareness month, I want to take a moment to reflect on how far as a people we have come. There have been several advances in medicine and technology to help persons living with the disease allowing them to live long, healthy lives. And there have definitely been improvements with the stigma surrounding HIV AIDS. There are still around 2 million new HIV AIDS cases each year in addition to over half a million deaths. The impact of the disease also disproportionately affects members of minority communities including but not limited to MSN.
This year, the theme Let Communities Lead is a signal to the grassroot local activism that is needed to tackle the disease. The community is a driving force behind transformation and change and development practitioners have long stressed the importance of tackling issues from the bottom up. As I write this, I am also reflecting on the loss of a family friend who died from complications after living with AIDS for a number of years. He had a difficult time living with the disease but it faced it bravely and with grace.
I was only a child when I found out about his condition but I observed how ostracized he was from the community. He was fired from the local grocery store he once worked and he only managed to keep his small single room abode because it had been owned by his family. He was forced to beg for food and although he would say he was taking his medication, from how quickly his illness progressed I don’t believe that this was the case. He also walked around with a walking stick and he suffered from chronic back pain. Despite all his challenges, he remained kind and respectful to everyone including us children.
Paul died alone in a one room shack. He was ostracized by his community and there was little to no support for him. Now as an adult, I am still sadden by this case. No one should have to suffer the way Paul did and I sincerely hope – for whatever it’s worth that – he is at peace.
To end this piece, I would like to call on people all around the world and ask them to support people living with HIV/AIDS. I am hopeful that we can build a better world than the one that turned its back on Paul and so many others like him. We must let our communities lead and make them places for children to grow up, play, dream and create a better world.
