The Saint
AIDS awareness day
Meredith Lawder
Last week St Andrews' students witnessed the University's first attempt at a week dedicated solely to increasing awareness of AIDS.
The twenty-first anniversary of World AIDS Day, which took place on Tuesday December 1, marked a relatively successful end to St Andrews' first AIDS Awareness week.
The week, which consisted of a collaborative effort between the Students' Association and the St Andrews chapters of UNICEF and UNYSA (United Nations Youth and Student Association), comprised of a number of individual events all aimed at informing and educating as many students as possible about the disease.
According to Georgina Rannard, Director of Representation at the Students' Association, the university-wide effort was organized in part to promote healthy practices among students but also to raise levels of awareness about the prominence of AIDS as a global issue.
'Come [Safely]', a joint DJ and visual arts showcase, kicked off the week's events on Wednesday November 25, and included a special initiative on behalf of UNYSA that centered on reducing the stigma of being HIV-positive.
Having quickly risen to pandemic proportions within the past 25 years, AIDS has become a serious priority for leaders of health organizations and a major international concern, especially for underdeveloped countries.
However, as suggested by the documentary "Pills, Profits, Protest: Chronicle of the Global AIDS Movement," shown by UNICEF and Azibo, on Tuesday December 1, the focus of the international community continues to center primarily on prevention rather than treatment.
As a result, donations collected from the viewing and a bake sale held earlier on in the week will be sent to two orphanages in Ethiopia that provide care specifically for children already infected by HIV.
The events wound down with the Wear Red-themed Bop, which provided a casual opportunity for raising awareness as free condoms, leaflets, and red ribbons were distributed all night.
Regarding plans for next years events, Georgina Rannard explained that she would like to integrate a few speakers into the week, giving it a more academic focus.
She said, "We want students to be aware that the controversy surrounding AIDS exists both as a health and political matter. "
All funds raised during AIDS Awareness week will be donated to Waverely Care, an HIV clinic based in Edinburgh.
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