World AIDS Day 2019: The AIDS memorial quilt returns home

December 1 is observed as World AIDS Day. It is an international campaign that raises awareness, fights for the rights of those living with the disease as well as commemorates those who have lost their lives to it. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the advancements in researching a cure for this, as of now, incurable disease. Started in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day.

India, too, will observe 1 December as World AIDS Day with a special event organised by the Central government. People living with HIV, AIDS activists, community workers, and State AIDS Control Societies as well as students are expected to attend the programme in New Delhi.

According to the latest available figures, more than 21 lakh people are living with HIV/AIDS in India.

A quilt built stitch by stitch

What makes this year’s event even more remarkable is the fact that the AIDS memorial quilt, which has served as a symbol of the struggle against AIDS and a reminder of the bravery with which the global community has waged war against it, is moving back to its original home of San Francisco. The quilt, a collection of 50,000 panels stitched together, commemorates those who have lost their lives to the AIDS. The individual panels have been made by friends and families of the departed and the quilt has been all around the US and portions have been displayed worldwide.

A movement that was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

The movement was started in San Francisco in 1987 by AIDS activists - it was then the height of the epidemic. The movement aims to convey the human toll of the disease and to express the reality of what would become one of the worst pandemics in history.

The quilt has so far been under the stewardship of the Names Project Foundation which is headquartered in Atlanta.

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The National AIDS Memorial

As announced by the CEO of Names, Julie Rhoad, last week, the move to San Francisco will transfer ownership to the National AIDS Memorial. The National AIDS Memorial is a 10-acre space in the Golden Gate Park paying tribute to the lives affected by the disease. The memorial organisers are planning on building an “Interpretative Center for Social Conscience” where the quilt will be displayed. The space will be used for public demonstrations and events that create awareness about the continued struggle against the disease. More panels will also be added to the quilt.

A museum documenting the story

Some 200,000 letters, photos, biographical data, research and newspaper clippings associated with the quilt will be given over to the US Library of Congress by the Names Project. After processing and curating the information, it will be displayed in the American Folklife Center.

According to the World AIDS Day website, there are an estimated 36.7 million people who have the virus. Since it was identified in the 1980s, more than 35 million people have died after contracting HIV/AIDS.

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Beyond AIDS Day

While medical advances have made HIV infection less deadly today (for those who can afford it), World AIDS Day is important because it serves as a reminder to everyone, including the public and the government, that the fight against HIV is not over. We still need to come together, raise funds, improve education, erase prejudice and spread awareness.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. For more information, please read our article on AIDS .

This is the final story in a three-part series on World AIDS Day 2019. The first story focused on new research on HIV and the second busts common misconceptions around HIV/AIDS.