In remembrance of the lives lost during the epidemic that wiped out Key West’s population, the community took another moment on December 1st to observe World AIDS Day.
At the height of the crisis, AIDS killed almost 1,000 residents in a few years and sickened and died more than ten years later.
People with HIV can now lead normal lives because HIV and AIDS are increasingly recognized as chronic illnesses that can be controlled with medicine and treatment. Preventive drugs that can stop new HIV infections have also been made possible by medical developments.
The world’s first World AIDS Day celebration is held at the Key West AIDS Memorial every year. In 1997, the memorial was constructed at the base of the Edward B. Knight Pier using private funding. It was given to the city in 1997 by the Friends of the Key West AIDS Memorial.
The small island was disproportionately affected by the AIDS epidemic.
Key West buried business owners, bankers, housewives, Conchs, servicemen, sports, artists, and writers during the early stages of the epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s, as the international medical world tried to comprehend, diagnose, and manage it.
The Key West AIDS Memorial was established to make sure the island will never forget those who fought but lost the battle when there was little information and no ammunition to arm them. No part of the community was spared.
During the annual commemoration, local leaders and preachers read aloud the 1,240 names inscribed in granite on the memorial before discussing the friends they lost, the advancements made, and the ongoing efforts to eradicate the virus.
According to the World Health Organization, the global theme for this year’s World AIDS Day was “Take the rights path: My health, my right.”
According to the WHO website, if everyone’s rights are upheld, AIDS can be eradicated. By 2030, the world can eradicate AIDS as a public health concern if human rights are prioritized and communities take the lead. WHO is urging world leaders and individuals to address the disparities that impede efforts to eradicate AIDS in order to promote the right to health.
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