ADOPTED - NOVEMBER 23, 2004

Agenda Item No. 4

 

Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:

 

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

 

RESOLUTION DESIGNATING DECEMBER 1, 2004 AS “WORLD AIDS DAY”                                         IN INGHAM COUNTY

 

RESOLUTION #04-344

 

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization declared the first World AIDS Day in 1988, the designated day, December 1, quickly became established as one of the world’s most successful commemorative days and is now recognized and celebrated by a diverse range of individuals every year around the globe; and

 

WHEREAS, so far 30 million people have died of AIDS in the two decades since the epidemic began and 40 million more people are currently infected; and 

 

WHEREAS, World AIDS Day is about reminding us all that HIV is an issue for everyone and getting people involved so that they can make a difference in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and about people from different and diverse backgrounds pulling together, in the same direction, to inform and educate people of all ages about HIV and AIDS; and

 

WHEREAS, the theme for the World AIDS Campaign 2004 is Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS  which focuses on  women and girls – preventing new infections, promoting equal access to treatment and mitigating the impact of AIDS; and

 

WHEREAS, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and to the impact of AIDS, the rate of HIV infection among young people worldwide is growing rapidly – 67% of newly infected individuals in the developing world are young people aged between 15 and 24 years; and

 

WHEREAS, the escalating risk is especially evident among young women and girls (15-24 years), who make up 64% of the young people in developing countries living with HIV or AIDS,  globally, young women and girls are more susceptible to HIV than men and boys, with studies showing they can be 2.5 times more likely to be HIV-infected as their male counterparts; and

 

WHEREAS, thousands of new cases of HIV are still being diagnosed each year and the only way to stop this disease from spreading is by making society more aware of AIDS; and

 

WHEREAS, education is one of the key defenses against the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS and the evidence for this is growing.

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby proclaims December 1, 2004, as "World AIDS Day" in Ingham County and urges all citizens to take part in activities and observances designed to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

 

COUNTY SERVICES:        Yeas:  Swope, Thomas, De Leon,  Severino

                 Nays:  None                       Absent:       Hertel, Nevin         Approved 11/16/04