MRS. SANDRA NOGUERA - SIXTH GRADE

Hooray it's Friday!! Today you can help reach Millennium Development Goal number #6 by helping combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases!
9 Million Kids are without a mother because she died of a preventable or treatable disease.

38.6 million people by the end of 2005 were infected with HIV. If you haven't heard of HIV or AIDS it's time to learn. HIV/AIDS is a horrible disease that can be stopped with proper treatment and preventions.

Every day 1500 children under the age of 15 become infected with the HIV virus and almost all of these children live in Africa.

Also, most of these children became infected in utero. That means they became sick while they were in their mothers bellies. Many more become sick from breastfeeding from their sick mothers. By the end of 2005 over 2 million children in Africa were living with the HIV/AIDS virus.

Millions of adults are dying too. Before Africa was devastated by HIV/AIDS the average adult could expect to live for about 62 years. With HIV/AIDS now plaguing the continent that person will now probably live only 47 years.

HIV/AIDS can be prevented through proper education on its transmission or proper treatment if someone does become infected.

Malaria kills more people in Africa than HIV/AIDS. It's a disease you catch from the bite of a mosquito. This means someone can get malaria any time of the day, even if they are asleep.

The mosquito passes malaria from one person to the next.

If the mosquito has bitten someone with malaria, and then bites someone else, that person will probably get malaria too.

Malaria can be cured without any long lasting affect. We must stop HIV/AIDS and malaria before they destroy a whole generation!

HIV/AIDS and malaria cost poor countries lots of money because the people are not productive because they can not work.

Children are forced to stay home from school and take care of their sick parents. These kids will never get the proper education needed to get a good job and stay healthy.

Many of the children end up on their own after their parents die or they end up living with their grandparents who often don't have enough money or strength to care for them properly.


THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE


1. Read more facts on the devastation of HIV/AIDs, malaria and other preventable diseases striking people living in extreme poverty.
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=186386

2. Recognize World AIDS Day December 1, 2006. Show your commitment in the fight to stop the spread of AIDS and join events in your community. For events in the U.K. go to: http://www.worldaidsday.org/events_search.asp

3. Visit World AIDS Day myspace page and meet others working in the fight to eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2015.
http://www.myspace.com/worldaidsday

4. Be a TeenAIDS peerCorps volunteer. Participate in community awareness campaigns, fundraisers like bike-thons and walk-a-thons. http://www.teenaids.org/Home/WorldAIDSDay/tabid/646/Default.aspx

5. Learn about the Gap's new line of clothing and accessories developed by rock star and humanitarian, Bono. Each item is a distinctive red color. When you buy one of the t-shirts you'll not only look good, but feel good too since a portion of the proceeds goes to the fight to end HIV/AIDS.
http://www.gapinc.com/red/ or go to www.joinred.com

6. Buy a bed net to protect someone from malaria. A simple bed net will keep away the mosquitoes during the night. The night time is the most active time of day for a mosquito. Each bed net keeps mosquitos from biting children and their parents while they sleep. They will be safe from malaria.
http://www.nothingbutnets.net/index2.asp

7. Read what the United Nations cyberschool bus has to say on MDG 6 http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/mdgs/index.html

8. Show the world you're helping to Stamp Out AIDS, by sending your cards and letters with a USPS authorized AIDS Global Fund stamp. Each stamp has a cool microscopic image of the HIV virus. Proceeds of the cost go to the Global Fund's fight against AIDS. They come in sheets of 20 for $17.95.
www.jointheglobalfund.org/stampoutaids.asp

9. Sign the Declaration of Hope and show the world you support the global fund. When you sign the declaration, and provide your general location information, you will be added to an interactive map joining thousands of others across the world. Invite your friends to join too and see the interactive map grow and grow reaching all corners of the world. You can watch hope spread!
www.jointheglobalfund.org/hopespreads.asp