The Stop AIDS Campaign

The Medsin Stop AIDS campaign is part of the Student Stop AIDS Campaign (a subset of the National Stop AIDS Campaign), which campaigns for universal access to evidence-based prevention, sustainable treatment and care, whilst providing education to reduce stigma and discrimination.

Want to get involved? Email Faye the Medsin National Coordinator for the student campaign, or find your local campaign branch.
Your campaign branch not on the list below? Email Faye or Email Jonny the medsin campaigns coordinator.

In 2005, the UK led world leaders in promising HIV treatment for all by 2010. In 2007 there were 33.2 million people living with HIV worldwide, 2.5 million people who were newly infected, and 2.1 million who died due to AIDS-related illnesses. In the words of our Prime Minister...

"We cannot allow our promises that became pledges to descend into just aspirations, and then wishful thinking, and then only words that symbolise broken promises." - Gordon Brown, July 2007

Latest News: 2008 Speaker Tour: Unite to Fight

The Unite to Fight AIDS Speaker Tour is bringing four young men and women who have all been personally affected by HIV to talk about their lives and experiences – a chance to raise awareness about the importance of protecting yourself but also to highlight the vital role young people in the UK have in the global response to this tragedy.

The speakers include Memory, 21 from Zambia, who having been infected by the virus when she was raped as a young girl only learnt that she was living with HIV when she read graffiti mocking her scrawled on the wall of her orphanage. Despite this trauma Memory has gone on to become a powerful voice in the fight against AIDS, raising awareness amongst young people across Zambia, demanding better treatment from the Zambian government, and even speaking at the UN and in front of Bill Clinton.

Her message is that all young people have the power to make a difference and that pressure is needed from the young people in the UK to ensure the government lives up to its promise to deliver universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.

At the moment two-thirds of those who need vital, life-saving HIV treatment aren’t getting it. There is much more work needed to be done.

Lolisa Gibson from the USA is already working hard. She discovered she was born with HIV at the age of 17 and since then has been dedicating her life to correcting the injustices which cause the epidemic to spread. Lolisa even marched across Alabama to demand the right of a young boy living with HIV to use the local swimming pool.

The speakers are touring the country to ensure students are aware of the reality of HIV and to encourage them to join the Student Stop AIDS Campaign.

The event should prove to be an inspiring and moving insight in to how HIV affects real lives, and show how we all have vital role to play in turning the tide on the global epidemic.

2008 Tour Schedule

13th October Monday Glasgow - 4pm Edinburgh – 8pm

14th October Tuesday Newcastle – 5pm Leeds – 8:30pm (this is a really tight squeeze because Newcastle need it to be a late start)

15th October Wednesday Nottingham – 2pm Sheffield – 7:30pm

16th October Thursday Liverpool – 2pm Manchester – 7:30pm

17th October Friday Cambridge – 2pm London (joint event between willing London societies) -7:30pm

20th October Monday Reading – 2pm Brighton - 7:30pm

21st October Tuesday Parliament event - 5pm

22nd October Wednesday Southampton - 2pm Bristol – 7:30pm

23rd October Thursday Cardiff – 2pm Birmingham – 7:30pm

24th October Friday Oxford 1pm Exeter 8pm

Resources

A template letter to invite your MP to the event: Template Letter

A press release to send to local and university press: Press release

Why should I campaign?

This is a disease that thrives on injustice. More than any other disease in human history, HIV and AIDS draw stark attention to the inequalities that characterise the 21st century world. Vulnerability to infection and death is heightened by gender, age and poverty. The statistics speak for themselves:

Worldwide, over 72% of adults and 85% of children in urgent need of treatment are not receiving it. So for every 4 people living with the virus, only 1 will have access to treatment. This is a gross injustice!
Over 75% of deaths due to AIDS in 2007 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.
In this region, 61% of those infected with the virus are women.
Only 1% of Africans with HIV/AIDS receive Anti Retroviral treatment (ARVs) despite the fact that there are 24.7 million Africans with HIV/AIDS.
40% of all new infections among adults in 2006 occurred amongst young people aged 15–24.
HIV is unlike most diseases in that it targets adults in the prime of their lives. In areas of high prevalence, an entire generation is being wiped out and the very fabric of society is being destroyed. Globally, 14 million children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

What are we asking for?

The Student Stop AIDS Campaign is demanding action from the UK government on a number of points. Help us pressure them to:

Remove barriers to affordable drugs by promoting generic medicines and addressing unfair trade barriers
Support new initiatives, such as 'patent pooling', that increase access to affordable drugs.
Provide adequate sustainable funding for all aspects of prevention, care and treatment, and lead the way for other rich countries to follow.
Improve global healthcare systems by addressing the critical shortage of health workers, and the many push factors that contribute to health worker migration.

So what can I do?

In 2005 the UK led world leaders in promising HIV treatment, prevention, care and support for all by 2010..... lets make sure they do all they can to keep that promise!

Sign up to the Student Stop AIDS Campaign newsletter and keep up to date with all our campaigning actions by emailing diarmuid.mcdonald@spw.org
If there isn't a Stop AIDS campaign at your branch, set one up! You can email Faye if you need support, help, ideas, or resources.
Write to your MP or even better, arrange a personal meeting with them. Find out who they are here, and email Diarmuid if you want to organise training first.
Increase local awareness and educate students on barriers to access to treatment. You could do this by organising an AIDS-themed social or event, a speaker event, a (legal) local publicity stunt, or whatever you think might get the message across and get more people involved.
Campaign on World AIDS Day (December 1st) and throughout the year.
Join forces! Communicate and work with your local Medsin branch, and other campaigns and projects such as PharmAware, UAEM, GHAP or Sexpression. Other organisations such as Oxfam and Action Aid are also part of the Stop AIDS coalition, so find out what your local group are up to and get them involved in your events.
Don't hesitate to email if you want help with ideas, training or resources, or even just to have a rant (preferably about something AIDS-related)!

Links to your websites... (in no particular order)

Check out what other students round the country are doing. It's the best way to get ideas and inspiration. If your site isn't on here, just let me know.