'MAGIC Campaign' for A Better Understanding of HIV/AIDS
From a terminal disease to a chronic disease, the paradigm of AIDS is changing.
On the 20th World AIDS Day 2007 (observed December 1st each year), the Korea Federation For HIV/AIDS Prevention (hereafter KFHAP) launched the HIV/AIDS campaign “Life Goes on like MAGIC”. The campaign is in cooperation with Abbott Korea and will run through 2008. This campaign attempts to promote a better understanding of the disease using Magic Johnson as an example.
According to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, from January to September 2007, there were 575 patients newly infected with HIV. This means that 2.1 people are newly infected every day and the numbers are increasing. These estimates are much higher than those given in the past.
According to a survey regarding the understanding of HIV/AIDS in Korean society done by ‘Byung-hee Cho’ in 2005 as part of a research team at the Graduate School of Public Health at Seoul National University, 40% of those surveyed said that people with HIV should be quarantined. However, only, 4.7% said this in Belgium in 1993 and 5.6% in France in 1992. These results clearly show the negative attitudes Koreans hold towards those living with HIV/AIDS.
It has been 20 years since AIDS was first discovered in Korea. This fairly recent discovery is similar to many other countries. However, Korea lags behind in terms of the population’s general understanding of HIV/AIDS patients and their human rights. Despite treatment development and continuing efforts to inform the public about HIV/AIDS, there does not seem to be much improvement.
This campaign tries to change the prejudice toward people with HIV/AIDS by using the case of Earvin Magic Johnson, the former NBA basketball star, who is living a healthy life even though he has HIV. .
Johnson was a legendary NBA basketball star in 1980s. Johnson stunned the world by making public that he was HIV-positive and then retiring from basketball. Magic Johnson has not been discouraged, and instead he has been energetically engaged in his work. Currently, he is a successful entrepreneur owning shares of the basketball team, the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a husband and father of three children and a crusader for the HIV/AIDS cause since he established the Magic Johnson Foundation. Even though it has been more than 16 years since he was infected with the virus, he now lives a healthy life like a normal person undergoing constant treatments and medication.
This campaign uses the postivie role model of Magic Johnson to send the important message that even people with HIV can live normal, positive lives.
Kwon, Kwan Woo general-secretary of KFHAP said that ‘AIDS is not contagious through everyday life, and infected individuals should not give up their life or be isolated from society.’ Through this campaign, we hope to encourage patients, educate the public to understand the disease properly, and provide an atmosphere where we can all comfort and embrace HIV/AIDS patients who suffer from severe prejudice and segregation. .
The CEO of Abbott Korea, Raman Singh announced ‘Magic Johnson is to be a channel to inform people that HIV/AIDS is not a fatal disease anymore but a chronic disease such as diabetes or hypertension that can be controlled by constant treatment. We hope this is the meaningful opportunity to resolve a bias against HIV/AIDS and the patients with this virus.’
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