Observe World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. Take a moment to remember that someone becomes infected with HIV every 12 seconds, about half of them under age 25. Every 16 seconds someone dies from AIDS-related causes. Thirty-one years into the epidemic, more than 34 million people around the world are living with HIV and many of these people are not aware they are infected.

Here in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just released a new report showing that "only one in four Americans with AIDS has the virus under control."

The American Red Cross has been a key player in the fight against HIV globally for almost a decade and we continue to support comprehensive HIV prevention programs that reach people with the highest risk of contracting the disease in Kenya, Tanzania, Vietnam, China, Guyana, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. A large part of our work focuses on building the capacity of our sister Red Cross societies. We help them better target the services, as they help communities cope with the shock and stresses of the disaster that is the ongoing HIV epidemic. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/international

Please also check out this fact sheet on specific ways we're involved in the fight: http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/International%20Services/Fact_Sheet_HIVAIDS.pdf

Graphic courtesy of globalministries.org

Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It's a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work...

PHILIPPINES: Two weeks after typhoon Nesat and Nalgae hit the northern Philippines, the Philippine Red Cross is intensifying relief efforts for flooding and landslides with support from the IFRC. At least 90 have died and four million have been affected. Last week the IFRC launched a preliminary emergency appeal for $3.9 million dollars and the American Red Cross has contributed $50,000 for relief efforts.

THAILAND: Earlier this week the ICRC started to provide emergency relief for 8,000 detainees affected by flooding from the two typhoons. The water was nearly 13 feet high at Ayutthaya, where 1,700 prisoners were evacuated.

VIETNAM: Heavy rains accompanying the typhoons have resulted in record flood levels in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. At least 23 have been killed with 30,600 houses flooded. The Vietnam Red Cross Society is carrying out assessments and distributing one million water purification tablets and 3,000 household kits containing basic items that are typically lost or destroyed during floods, with response expected to grow.

PAKISTAN: After unprecedented floods in Pakistan’s Sindh province the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, in partnership with the IFRC, has launched an appeal of $11 million to support ongoing relief operations for the next four months. More than 8.9 million people have been affected by the floods, and adverse living conditions have many concerned about the significant risk of disease.

DJIBOUTI: The American Red Cross opened it’s first Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) station in Africa on September 28th to provide services to the military members and civilian employees at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. SAF stations provide training on health and safety, disaster preparedness and readiness, emergency communications services, and provide enhanced morale services and activities.


GLOSSARY:

ICRC = International Committee of the Red Cross
IFRC = International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies