• This just in from our friends at Open Heart House:

On this, the 30th anniversary of HIV and AIDS, and on behalf of our 1,100 members and staff, we extend our best wishes together with appreciation for all your support towards our members and Open Heart House.  We look forward to continuing to work with all of you in developing regional supports for those people living with HIV who are still rurally isolated, 50% of whom have never disclosed their HIV status to even one other person.

Below is our contribution to raising awareness of HIV throughout Ireland this World AIDS Day.  We wish you much success with your events also. We hope to attend and support as many events as possible on the day.

26th November through 3rd December: Open Heart House launches its Awareness Campaign; ‘Living and working with HIV – Today’s issues’ through nationwide Community Radio stations. Watch: www.openhearthouse.ie and Facebook for up to date Radio stations and times.

30th November: Lunch and Learn @ Open Heart House, 2.00pm to 4.00pm. Theme: ‘HIV & Your Mental Health – A Practical Approach’ with Dr. Claire Hayes, Clinical Director with AWARE.  For Members and invited guests.

30th November: Open Heart House explores ’ Living with HIV – a Peer Support Model’ with the Transitional Year Students at the Old Bawn School, Tallaght, Dublin.

30th November: Open Heart House addresses the General Practitioner Seminar: “Let’s talk HIV!  30 years on – From acute illness to chronic disease” to be held at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, 7.00pm to 9.00pm, invite only.

1st December: Special celebratory Members candlelight dinner @ 6.30 in Open Heart House celebrating WAD including the dressing of the Open Heart House Tree of Life with personal messages from members and friends (Private to Members and invited guests).

1st December: Art campaign in Open Heart House culminating in a banner of members reflections to be launched at the special celebratory dinner. (Private to Members and invited guests).

1st December: CEO of Open Heart House, Ms Paula Gilmore will present ‘Living and working with HIV – Today’s issues’, to the Gilead pharmaceutical team in Cork.

1st December: Carol Singing Fundraiser by The staff of MAC Cosmetics Dublin.  The MAC staff from all branches in Dublin will be carol singing outside Brown Thomas on Grafton St from 12.00pm to 5.00pm to help raise much needed funds for Open Heart House.

1st December: Open Heart House, as a member of Gay Health Network (GHN) Ltd, will be represented at the launch of the new and innovative LGBT Health Campaign.

3rd December: Open Heart House members living with HIV and AIDS join other colleagues as we team up with our friends at Newstalk 106 – 108fm to discuss ‘HIV – The 30 year story’, live on the Global Village programme with Dil Wickremasinghe from 7pm to 9pm.

5th December: Open Heart House will be represented at the United Nations International Volunteer Day Celebratory Event 2011 at the Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel where 8 of our volunteers will be presented with a unique certificate of appreciation for their volunteerism.  (The very first State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme will be launched on the day in several countries around the world.)

19th December: Open Heart House in partnership with UK colleagues will deliver 1 Day, Train the Trainer workshop entitled: ‘BEST - Better Equipped For Starting Treatment’  for  professionals who may be engaging with People Living with HIV.

Open Heart House together with our 1200 Members living with HIV or AIDS, unite in solidarity with all people living with HIV throughout Ireland to celebrate the extraordinary scientific advances in the 30 year HIV story.  We do, however, invite friends, families and communities everywhere to work with us towards ZERO Stigma and Discrimination and to protect the inalienable rights of all people living with HIV to full equality and respect!

Why is World AIDS Day important?

At the end of 2010 (most current figures available) just under 6,000 people are currently living with HIV in Ireland.  Globally an estimated 33.3 million people have HIV. More than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007 have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. But despite this, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others from HIV, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with HIV. World AIDS Day is important as it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

What should I do on World AIDS Day?

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for you to learn the facts about HIV and put your knowledge into action. If you understand how HIV is transmitted, how it can be prevented, and the reality of living with HIV today,  you can use this knowledge to take care of your own health and the health of others, and ensure you treat everyone living with HIV fairly, and with respect and understanding.

• You can also show your support for people living with HIV on World AIDS Day by wearing a red ribbon, the international symbol of HIV awareness.