Raising awareness the key on World Aids Day

Wednesday, 1 December 2021 14:45

By David Murphy

Representatives of George House Trust meet the Mayor of Bury, Cllr Tim Pickstone, at a reception held in the mayor’s parlour.

Bury has been hosting events to mark World Aids Day and promote the values of tolerance and inclusion.

World Aids Day has taken place on 1 December every year since 1988. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the Aids pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, mourning those who have died of the disease and learning the facts and realities of HIV today in the UK and worldwide.

Today, people were invited to wear a red ribbon, the universal symbol of awareness and support for people living with HIV.

The Mayor of Bury, Cllr Tim Pickstone, held a reception in the mayor’s parlour for representatives of the George House Trust. And on Friday, the mayor’s annual fundraising ball will raise money for George House. The mayor has committed to work with the council’s LGBT Forum for the rest of his term to show his support for the LGBT community.

Cllr Pickstone said: “I’m so proud that Bury is able to mark World Aids Day with events throughout this week.

“One of my mayoral charities this year is George House Trust, an HIV charity in Greater Manchester. I am backing their campaign to raise awareness and to end the stigma faced by people who are living with HIV.”

At The Met arts centre in Bury today, the Bury LGBTQI+ Forum presented three videos produced by the George House Trust to highlight the stories of real people who have been affected by HIV and Aids. There were also speeches by local health leaders and the George House Trust.

Globally there are 37.7 million people living with HIV, with around 105,200 in the UK.

HIV has always been a significant health issue in Greater Manchester, which has a rate of 6.21 per 1,000 population compared to the England average of 2.37 per 1,000.

According to the Government’s Spotlight report, Bury has the 7^th highest rate of people living with HIV in the North West at 2.17 per 1,000 population.