WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY

WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY

                    

World AIDS Vaccine Day is observed yearly to encourage and express gratitude to the volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who are working together to find a safe and effective defensive HIV vaccine.

It’s also a day to educate communities across the nation about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research. This day is to inform the world about the efforts being made on research for a vaccine.  Sub-Saharan Africa has been the worst region hit by the disease.

WHEN IS WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY?

Friday, 18th May 2018

IS AIDS VACCINE DAY IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY

 No  Aids vaccine day is not observed as a public holiday.

WHAT ARE HIV AND AIDS?

Many of us think that HIV and AIDS are one and same. But technically, it’s not. A person might have HIV but not AIDS. Still, one cannot have AIDS without HIV because HIV is considered as the first stage of the virus.

HIV is a virus that enters the human body and attacks the white blood cells, and gradually killing them. Particularly, these cells are called CD4 cells. This, in the end, will lower the count of these cells in the body and weaken the immune system. Other opportunistic diseases then take advantage of this and start showing up in the victim.

Unlike other viruses, HIV is not healed by the body.

When the CD4 cells fall below a certain level, the person is then considered to have the AIDS virus. This is actually the final stage. AIDS in itself is not a disease, but a group of signs that prove the immune system has been compromised.

WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY HISTORY

The day was introduced in 1997 to commemorate the anniversary of Clinton’s speech, and has since been observed every year on the 18th of May. Every year communities around the world hold a variety of activities on World AIDS Vaccine Day to raise awareness for AIDS vaccines, educate communities about HIV prevention and research for an AIDS vaccine and bring attention to the ways in which ordinary people can be a part of the international effort to stem the deadly disease.

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WHAT TO DO ON WORLD AIDS VACCINE DAY

·        Get tested for HIV

·        Get informed

·        Attend an event

·        Raise funds or donate

·        Make a promise to yourself