One of the most important basic needs and rights we have is health. As defined by the World Health Organization, health is the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Every individual should have the right to this type of health. It is a fundamental building block for the development of individuals, communities and societies. Americans for Informed Democracy challenges you to act to protect the health of every individual on this planet.
Millions of people suffer dire consequences from inadequate access to comprehensive health information and services. Each day, there are 7,400 new HIV infections with a total of 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS on our planet. Of the 14 million with HIV/AIDS who are in dire need of medication to survive, only 4 million have access. 536,000 women die in pregnancy or birth every year; 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries. Yet, globally only 50% of women have access to prenatal, pregnancy, birth and newborn care. There are 20,000 unsafe abortions every year while 215 million women who want to prevent pregnancy and/or space births do not have access to contraceptives. Malaria inflicts more than one million deaths annually and is continuing to kill the most vulnerable populations even though the disease is preventable and treatable; 3,000 children die of malaria every single day.
With a generation of 3 billion strong, we have the power, skills, knowledge, and network to create and implement sustainable solutions to solve these global challenges. From educating our peers about sexually transmitted diseases and its global implications to raising funds for malaria nets to speaking to policymakers about effective foreign policies to planning a rally in your community showing the world how important these issues are to you. There are so many things you can do to make a lasting difference. Join our health campaigns and the movement to achieve a healthier planet!
Find out more about the issues and our work:
What you can do:
- Organize an event on your campus. Bring in a speaker. Organize a debate. Stand up and demand change. Check out our event database for some great ideas to get you started.
- Show a movie discussing the issue. Check out our film library for a list of free films you can borrow from AIDemocracy. Films come with discussion guides and free shipping. It couldn’t be any easier!
- Request a mini-grant to make your film or event a success. We provide small grants to help pay for materials, food and speakers. Contact us to discuss.
- Speak out to the network. Write a blog for our site. Post something on our Facebook group. Share photos or video with us on YouTube. Share your opinions with other concerned students like you. How to submit materials.
- Ask for advice and support. Not sure how to get started? Need to talk through ideas for your event? AIDemocracy staff and student leaders are here to help
