December 1, 1988 - World AIDS Day

Human Rights a Day

World AIDS Day begins. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Every year, millions of people acquire HIV, and thousands die from it daily. In January of 1988, health ministers from 140 countries who were attending a world summit came up with the idea of designating a day to draw attention to HIV and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). They voted unanimously to do so. Later that year the UN and World Health Organization declared December 1, 1988 to be World AIDS Day. The day’s goal is to draw attention to this preventable disease, which is ravaging some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Initially, world leaders and organizations were slow to respond to the issue, because HIV and AIDS were thought to affect only gay men in Western countries. While some people still have their heads in the sand, most have woken up to the disease’s devastation. Now that research has shown that girls and women are at greater risk to contract HIV and AIDS, even the Girl Scouts of Canada has gotten involved, educating girls about the dangers of unprotected sex and other high risk activities.