Relative to the previous post, the Burlington City Council Meeting Minutes has posted a PDF of the World AIDS Day resolution as passed last night. Vermont CARES is extremely grateful for the awareness brought to HIV/AIDS by the Council’s action last night.
http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/docs/1146AidsAwareness&BloodSafetyonWorldAidsDay.pdf
In recognition of World AIDS Day, the Burlington City Council passed a resolution last night urging increased public awareness of HIV and AIDS, and acknowledging the work of Vermont CARES.
The resolution was proposed by Council Members Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, Marrisa Caldwell, and Clarence Davis; it passed by a unanimous vote after thoughtful reflections. Vermont CARES is honored for this recognition of more than 20 years working to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in Vermont.
Full text of the resolution will be posted seperately on this blog.
Vermont CARES’ Executive Director, Peter Jacobsen, said, “This resolution marks the work of Vermont CARES in our efforts to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS on individuals, families, and communities around our state. We have been working with Burlington and other towns for over two decades and we are committed to continuing that work until HIV is managed and treated by communities like any other disease: without blame, stigma, inequality, and discrimination. We are so honored that the Burlington City Council acknowledged our work through this resolution, and we are grateful that the Council joins us in urging more public awareness of HIV and increased HIV testing. The 56,000 new HIV infections cited in this resolution, in the U.S. alone, are 100% preventable, and we are proud to partner with Burlington to stop the spread of the virus.”
A special thank you to all who supported World AIDS Day 2009! We were able to hand out 3,500 red ribbons across the state to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. All who stopped by our tables around Burlington were extremely supportive, which was inspiring for us to see. Our candle light vigil at the top of Church St. was a beautiful, if small, ceremony honoring those we have lost to HIV/AIDS and those who live with HIV every day. Saint Michael’s College, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and the University of Vermont were also supportive in helping to hand out ribbons, raise awareness, and garner support for Vermont CARES and all those living with HIV/AIDS. We were moved by the show of community support, and again thank you to all for your encouragement and help during this day to remember all those affected by HIV/AIDS.
This World AIDS Day, Vermont CARES, along with other advocacy organizations and millions of individuals around the world, is pausing to reflect on the human toll of HIV and AIDS. We are more than 25 years into this pandemic, and there is no cure and no viable vaccine, and treatment remains challenging. Prevention is still the most effective tool we have.
HIV and AIDS have changed the lives and histories of so many people, families, and communities. HIV continues to affect us all. We invite you, on this solemn and reflective day, to pause with us to think of those we’ve lost and those we care for.
The global theme of World AIDS Day this year is “Universal Access and Human Rights.” By this, we mean that all people deserve equal access to HIV prevention and testing, to treatment, and to care and compassion. Viewing HIV through the lens of human rights, we advocate also for humane policy and laws to guide counseling, testing, and treatment rather than persecute people living with this virus.
In Vermont, our local perspective remains a consistent message to get tested, and to encourage those you know who are at risk or living with HIV to access the services they need. We have organized information tables and events around the state to call attention to local HIV/AIDS programs, and we encourage you and others to participate or learn more. www.vtcares.org
In the two weeks leading up to World AIDS Day (December 1st) across Vermont and the world, Vermont CARES has put together a slate of two weeks’ worth of tangible ways you can make a difference in reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS. We will be posting one new way to help reduce new infections, or to improve health and wellbeing, through our Facebook and Twitter accounts daily, linking to appropriate resources and web links.
On World AIDS Day proper, we’ll be staffing tables around the counties we serve, with information, red ribbons to raise awareness, and links to nearby rapid HIV testing sites. Also, for families and loved ones who have lost someone to HIV/AIDS, we will be holding a candlelight vigil at the UU Church in Burlington starting at 5:30 that evening.
There are, of course, more than 14 ways you can make a difference. World AIDS Day need not be your only time to volunteer, learn more, donate, support, and reach out. People affected by HIV/AIDS globally need compassionate communities EVERY day.
You can become a fan or friend of Vermont CARES through Facebook here to follow this mini-campaign as it unrolls: http://www.facebook.com/vermont.cares
Vermont CARES is preparing for a busy World AIDS Day ~ December 1, 2009. We hope you’ll join us in some portion of the day’s commemoration, outreach, and awareness-building. Vermont CARES’ supporters, community, and clients are asked to pause in honor and memory on this auspicious day, while also encouraging increased HIV testing and awareness.
During the day of December 1st, we will expand the walk-in hours of Burlington’s rapid HIV testing to be open from 9am to 7pm. In honor of World AIDS Day, expanded hours will continue from 9am to 4pm daily through the week.
Further, staff and volunteers will blanket venues throughout the county and state providing information tables and red ribbons for awareness, as well as education presentations in forums such as St. Johnsbury Academy.
Evening activities will include a candle lighting ceremony at the Burlington Unitarian Universalist Church at 5:30pm to honor the lives and love of people with HIV/AIDS.
Please visit our website at www.vtcares.org for more details as other events develop around the state. We certainly invite you to join us during the day or evening to focus on the local and global impact of HIV and AIDS.
CARES is grateful for a new ally in Vermont’s Roller Derby Team
On November 7th, with doors opening at 5pm, get ready to roll with the Green Mountain Derby Dames and Vermont CARES! Our region’s premier flat track roller derby league is hosting Boston’s B-Party team for a bout not to be missed, and they’re donating a portion of the proceeds to our HIV/AIDS programs.
This will be a fun, energetic, and action-packed evening. The bout will be held at the Expo North Building at the Champlain Valley Expo, and tickets are on sale at the Flynn Box Office: $12 in advance and $15 at the door. www.flynntix.org.
More information about our fantastic allies ~ the Green Mountain Derby Dames ~ can be found at www.gmderbydames.com.
Yesterday, many of Vermont CARES’ clients and supporters contacted us to learn more about modestly successful vaccine trial results announced in Thailand this week. A link to the full article, discussing long-term impact, scientific advances, and crucial next steps, is below.
In Vermont ~ indeed in all rural communities and globally ~ a vaccine that proves effective at reducing HIV infections could serve as a critical public health tool. Where transportation and limited infrastructure interfere with effective health strategies keeping people healthy and reducing the spread of HIV, a vaccine could save hundreds of lives.
The vaccine trial announced in Thailand Thursday teaches us that an effective vaccine could be possible. Still, many questions remain: why was this vaccine only partially successful? Can it be adapted to other strains of HIV, so that a vaccine can prove efficacious globally? What specific immune system triggers are activated by this combination of two less effective vaccines? Are there health complications not discovered yet? What would be the timeline for bringing any successful vaccine to market? Most crucially, can the vaccine in trials now be improved to be more than 31% effective (as most vaccines publicly available are 70-80% effective)?
No matter how much is left to be done, this proves a huge development. With many questions still unfolding, Vermont CARES will keep updates posted to this blog as we learn more. (Link below)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/health/research/25aids.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=hiv%20vaccine&st=cse
The process for repealing the U.S. travel ban for people with HIV continues; we may not know the outcome of public comment for several months (though reports are that more than 20,000 comments were submitted – mostly in opposition to this ban). In the meantime, we continue with the travel theme.
For those of us traveling with HIV to other countries, a few notes on planful travel (from the CDC):
While Vermont CARES has made clear our opposition to the U.S. ban against HIV-positive travelers , other countries have similar bans too. Planning for travel considerations will make for happier and healthier trips. Visit the CDC’s website for travel advisories and advice: www.cdc.gov and click on “Travelers’ Health.”
