c. 2004 Religion News Service

(Dale Hanson Bourke is the author of “The Skeptics Guide to the Global AIDS Crisis” and founder of the AIDS Orphan Bracelet Project.)

(UNDATED) Dec. 1, 2004 marks the 17th anniversary of World AIDS Day. It hardly seems fitting to say “Happy AIDS Day.” Nor does “merry” come to mind.

But despite the fact that another 3 million people have died from AIDS since last year, and at least 5 million are newly infected, there are some reasons to celebrate this day. Just the fact that you are reading this article is one of them.

After 17 years, the average American is beginning to know a little something about the enormous impact AIDS is having on the world. At first, we worried mostly about ourselves. Could we become infected from casual contact with an HIV-positive person? Should our children share a classroom with an infected child? As the epidemic in our own country was identified and largely contained, we began to relax. As HIV-positive individuals began to respond to drug treatments, we applauded.

And then we lost interest.

AIDS, it seemed, was someone else’s problem. We were sorry for the Americans who had lost their lives, but glad it did not seem to be spreading throughout the general population. Most people were careful to express sorrow publicly, but privately were relieved to learn that if they weren’t gay or using IV drugs, they could relax.

And if AIDS was running rampant throughout the developing world, could we really do anything about it? As one man said to me as I was doing research for a book on AIDS, “Maybe this is a good thing. Aren’t there too many poor people in the world anyway?”

As politically incorrect as his question might be, he reflects a certain unexpressed honesty that many Americans share. That view, in summary, is that AIDS is not our problem, is brought on by bad choices, is mostly a problem among people we don’t need to worry about, and will eventually run its course without bothering most of us.

So in honor of this year’s AIDS Day, perhaps we can consider a few simple facts.

First, if AIDS does not affect our lives today, it will surely affect the lives of our children and grandchildren. The global crisis is nowhere near its peak. HIV/AIDS has now been found in every country in the world, and infection rates are growing exponentially.

Second, there are more women than men infected with AIDS worldwide. It is not primarily a disease of homosexuals. And contrary to popular mythology, most women in developing countries engage in “risky behavior” by marrying and remaining faithful to one man. They then bear children who may be infected from birth or through breast-feeding.

Third, the disease is spreading most rapidly in India, China and Russia, countries in which we have considerable economic interests and where the destabilizing impact of AIDS could quickly become a national security risk, according to the CIA.

In African countries we cannot ignore the orphans that are becoming an astounding percentage of the total population, prompting Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to describe them as “a recruiting pool for terrorists.”

And finally, no one seems to know how long the global AIDS crisis will continue but most experts believe it will dominate this century. It’s probably a safe bet that AIDS Day will mark its centennial and no one will question its importance.

So what’s to celebrate?

Churches, synagogues and mosques across this country will mark AIDS Day with not only a solemn witness to lives lost, but also an increasingly determined plan to prevent, treat and care for individuals, even those whom they may never meet.

Schools are educating their students about AIDS, not just as a personal health issue, but also as a global force that will affect almost any career they choose.

And individuals are beginning to realize that being educated about AIDS is not optional. For those in developing countries, education is the first step in preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

For those of us in the developed world, education is necessary to combat the ignorance that can allow AIDS to spread unabated and overwhelm all the other potential problems our children and grandchildren may face.

AIDS is our problem, whether we are personally at risk of being infected or not.

KRE/PH END BOURKE