I’m alive because I have access to AIDS treatment. Shouldn’t everyone who needs it have that access? Sadly, not everyone does. Activist Mark S. King’s video shows what AIDS looks like from their point of view.
In the video, King, who blogs at My Fabulous Disease, shares powerful, intimate stories from participants in the Treatment4All March at the International AIDS Conference, better known as AIDS2016, taking place this week Durban, South Africa.
According to its website, the International AIDS Conference is “the premier gathering for those working in the field of HIV, as well as policy makers, persons living with HIV and other individuals committed to ending the pandemic. It is a chance to assess where we are, evaluate recent scientific developments and lessons learnt, and collectively chart a course forward.”
It’s a chance for people in need to say, “I need access to AIDS treatment, hear me roar!”
I consider myself fortunate, having access to both treatment and excellent care. However, people who are care-less exist right here in America.
A recent PBS Newshour feature titled the End of AIDS sheds light on the fact that all you have to do is travel to places like the American South to witness Third-World-like conditions when it comes to AIDS prevention and treatment.
The AIDS epidemic is forgotten, not gone, says Dr. Carlos Del Rio of Atlanta in the NewsHour report. That means more ignorance, more stigma, more infections and more people who need access to the advances science has made with the disease.
We all need access to AIDS treatment, hear us roar.
Randy Boyd author 