World AIDS day
Today is World AIDS Day. I don’t really have anything to add to the raw horror of the simple estimates: 39.4 million people worldwide infected with HIV, of whom 25.4 million live in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority of these do not have access to any treatment.
Two organizations that I give to address very different aspects of the AIDS epidemic. amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Fesearch, supports research into both a vaccine and treatment, as well as into effective prevention efforts. Food and Friends delivers groceries and prepared meals to people living with HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses in the Washington DC area.
While I very much support efforts to bring treatment to Africa and Asia, I feel like any contribution that I could make is insignificant compared to the efforts of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (This foundation almost makes me feel good about buying Microsoft products.)
