Edolphus Towns: “today is a very sad day as we remember what it was like before that time twenty years ago when our friends and…”

“today is a very sad day as we remember what it was like before that time twenty years ago when our friends and neighbors, acquaintances and co-workers began to fall gravely ill in what should have been the prime of their lives. It is hard to remember that time before we had parades, rallies, walks and forums specifically devoted to raising desperately needed awareness and money to pay for potential remedies to battle this global pandemic. In the early days it seemed that we fought fear, discrimination, rumors and gossip almost as much or more than the virus itself. Today, while we are still fighting those battles, there have been great strides in the efforts to control this insidious illness. Nevertheless, this is no time for back-slapping as the strides that were made are falling victim to the misguided belief--particularly among young people--that HIV/AIDS is no longer a serious threat. Moreover, while those strides were real, the medical miracles that were discovered were not available to everyone. The high cost of drugs and the lack of availability of adequate quality healthcare remain significant barriers to real progress. As we look back over these twenty years we see an all too real killing field of lives lost across the globe. An estimated 21.8 million people have died as a result of this virus. Currently, 36.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS; almost half of those diagnosed are women, and over 1.6 million are children.”