Paving the Way Through Prevention

 

By: Michelle Villanueva

Photo By: Gio Anderson Laylo

“HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug; heaven knows they need it.” - Princess Diana

As much as we need vaccines to prevent pandemics, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) affects people of any age globally as well. The virus that caused this, which is called human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), targets the immune system of an affected person, making them weak and vulnerable to chronic diseases like cancer. This illness significantly affects a person’s life in a downward spiral. Hence, it is only logical to say that even in this kind of situation, prevention is still better than cure.

This May 18th is marked as World AIDS Vaccine Day, in a desire to raise awareness of the problem and in honor of the professionals who continuously work to come up with an effective vaccine that may prevent the spread of the disease. In 1997, US President Bill Clinton challenged these professionals throughout the world, stating that “only a truly effective, preventive HIV vaccine can limit and eventually eliminate the threat of AIDS.” That day remains an annual reminder of the significance of formulating a vaccine for its prevention.

As expressed, AIDS is a chronic disease that demands attention globally. A lot of people have already suffered from it, and rather than wait for a cure, prevention will get us ahead of it. Therefore, a vaccine is significant to win over the threat that it poses.