World Aids Day observances should make us more aware

From The Hippodrome in Warren, to the National AIDS Memorial in San Francisco, to countless gatherings around the world, people will hear the same message today: AIDS is a pandemic that threatens the very existence of nations around the world.
The numbers tell the story. There are an estimated 40 million people worldwide living with the HIV virus, of which 2.5 million are under 15 and 11.8 million are between 15 and 24. Women, especially black women in underdeveloped countries, now rank as the fastest-growing segment of those infected with the disease. It is no accident that the theme of today's 14th annual observance of World AIDS Day is "Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS."
The number of children worldwide who have lost one of more parents to this killer is expected to hit 25 million by the end of the decade. About 13 million children have already lost one of more parents to AIDS.
In the United States, over 1 million Americans are living with the virus, 40,000 a year are contracting it and 16,000 die annually. Of those, over 50 percent are black.
In the past 24 years, 550,000 Americans have died of the AIDS epidemic.
"Forgetting about this tragedy condemns us to many more friends and family members dying," says actor and AIDS activist Judith Light.
Light was to deliver the keynote address today at the national memorial in San Francisco.
Mahoning Valley
The Mahoning Valley's observance will culminate with a dinner at The Hippodrome sponsored by the Trumbull County Area AIDS Task Force which represents Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Jefferson counties.
The keynote address will be delivered by Miss Ohio Amanda Beagle, who will focus on the impact of positive self-esteem on making healthful choices to prevent the spread of HIV.
The task force specializes in education and advocacy for AIDS victims, and provides food, utility help and other direct support to about 200 victims and their families. The organization receives no public funding and relies on contributions of food to fill its pantry in Warren, and cash donations.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Ursuline Sisters HIV/AIDS Ministry distributed turkey dinners for about 200 people. The ministry distributes food regularly, holds monthly dinners for people with AIDS/HIV, operates a medical clinic and staffs a home in Youngstown with programming for children infected and affected by AIDS.
And just as women and children in the underdeveloped world are at greatest risk, about half the individuals cared for by the Ursuline Sisters are women and children.
But good works and good intentions alone will not solve this global pandemic. What is needed is a financial commitment from the developed nations to bankroll a worldwide effort to prevent the spread of the virus and to enable those infected to live full, productive lives.
Bush's initiative
President Bush's five-year, $15 billion initiative is a start, but the administration must know that the United States cannot just send the money to countries in Africa and the Caribbean and walk away. Americans must be on the ground to guide local organizations.
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, knows first-hand the devastation this disease is causing around the world. He has visited many nations and has returned fully committed to leading the fight in Congress for more money and other assistance.
Hope does spring eternal, but as each year passes and the number of dead and dying increases, it is easy to become pessimistic.
That is why today is important. World AIDS Day serves as a reminder of the good, the bad and the indifferent.