2008 Woodie Awards
Leaders summoned to help
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
World AIDS Day will be held Dec. 1, as has every year since 1988. On this day, which is recognized worldwide, people are reminded of the tragedy of HIV/AIDS.
According to the latest report by UNAIDS, the joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, more than 5,700 people worldwide died each day from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007.
More than 6,800 people are still being infected with HIV daily, approximately 1,200 of whom are children under 15 and approximately 2,900 are women 15 years and older.
As reported in the Feb. 22 issue of The Echo, the zip code that contains UTC, 37403, accounts for 11 percent of all reportable STDs in Chattanooga.
This number is disproportionately high among Chattanooga zip codes. With these staggering and frightening numbers being reported, it is up to each one of us to do everything we can to stop this epidemic.
During the 1980s and 1990s, HIV/AIDS seemed like it was on the forefront of everyone's mind. This attention has waned in recent years, but World AIDS Day is an opportunity to change that.
This year, the theme for World AIDS Day is "leadership." And that is exactly what we need to reenergize HIV/AIDS awareness at UTC.
Spectrum, UTC's gay/straight alliance, is planning World AIDS Day events, and they are to be commended for their work, but in order to create a real change in this area, more than one group must be involved.
According to our research, Spectrum is the only campus group holding World AIDS Day events.
In honor of the theme of "leadership" for World AIDS Day this year, we are calling on all campus leaders to make HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention a top priority in 2008. This is an illness that is currently affecting students here and now, at UTC, in Chattanooga, in Tennessee, in America and in the world.
This is an illness in which people ages 15 to 24 are disproportionately affected.
This is an illness in which women and minorities are disproportionately affected.
That makes this an issue for the majority of students on this campus.
Campus leaders have a responsibility to help end this epidemic, and they can start with their respective organizations.
They should encourage their members to become more informed about HIV/AIDS, how it is and is not spread and how they can help with HIV/AIDS support organizations, such as Chattanooga Cares or Nancy's House.
For more information, contact Nancy's House, a not-for-profit agency helping people and families affected or infected by HIV and AIDS in Bradley, Polk, Meigs and McMinn counties, at (423) 559-8592, or Chattanooga Cares, a non-profit agency providing resources for anyone affected by AIDS at (800) 960-AIDS.
According to the latest report by UNAIDS, the joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, more than 5,700 people worldwide died each day from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007.
More than 6,800 people are still being infected with HIV daily, approximately 1,200 of whom are children under 15 and approximately 2,900 are women 15 years and older.
As reported in the Feb. 22 issue of The Echo, the zip code that contains UTC, 37403, accounts for 11 percent of all reportable STDs in Chattanooga.
This number is disproportionately high among Chattanooga zip codes. With these staggering and frightening numbers being reported, it is up to each one of us to do everything we can to stop this epidemic.
During the 1980s and 1990s, HIV/AIDS seemed like it was on the forefront of everyone's mind. This attention has waned in recent years, but World AIDS Day is an opportunity to change that.
This year, the theme for World AIDS Day is "leadership." And that is exactly what we need to reenergize HIV/AIDS awareness at UTC.
Spectrum, UTC's gay/straight alliance, is planning World AIDS Day events, and they are to be commended for their work, but in order to create a real change in this area, more than one group must be involved.
According to our research, Spectrum is the only campus group holding World AIDS Day events.
In honor of the theme of "leadership" for World AIDS Day this year, we are calling on all campus leaders to make HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention a top priority in 2008. This is an illness that is currently affecting students here and now, at UTC, in Chattanooga, in Tennessee, in America and in the world.
This is an illness in which people ages 15 to 24 are disproportionately affected.
This is an illness in which women and minorities are disproportionately affected.
That makes this an issue for the majority of students on this campus.
Campus leaders have a responsibility to help end this epidemic, and they can start with their respective organizations.
They should encourage their members to become more informed about HIV/AIDS, how it is and is not spread and how they can help with HIV/AIDS support organizations, such as Chattanooga Cares or Nancy's House.
For more information, contact Nancy's House, a not-for-profit agency helping people and families affected or infected by HIV and AIDS in Bradley, Polk, Meigs and McMinn counties, at (423) 559-8592, or Chattanooga Cares, a non-profit agency providing resources for anyone affected by AIDS at (800) 960-AIDS.
