How the HIV Red Ribbon came about

Its exactly 32 days since I last blogged, half of which I did not use the internet. I never thought that could ever happen, but karibu loitokitok.

Today is World AIDS day. A day set aside to create awareness about this pandemic, raise funds, fight prejudice and improve education. The theme this year is ‘universal access and human rights’. It’s about time for a country which has about a quarter of its HIV+ population on ARVs.

A Masai lady hawking red ribbons in Loitokitok town today made me realize I really didn’t know how it came about, so I made a point of asking around, and finally I resorted to my good friend google. Apparently there is an assortment of colored ribbons for a myriad of courses; the red ribbon is a symbol for heart disease, stroke, substance abuse, and several other conditions, but it has been completely usurped for the fight against HIV and AIDS- thanks to the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus. It’s worn all year round and particularly around World Aids day to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support and commitment. First worn publicly by Jeremy Irons (the guy who voices Scar in Lion King), the ribbon soon became a politically correct fashion accessory on the lapels of celebrities. It continues to be a force in the fight to increase public awareness of HIV and AIDS and in Lobbying efforts to increase funding for AIDS services and research.


Now you know :-)