Today is World AIDS Day which is held on 1 December every year. It is an international day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS around the world. The first World AIDS Day was celebrated on 1 December 1988. This year’s focus during World AIDS Day is to address the critical need to protect human rights and make HIV prevention, treatment, care and support accessible to all.

Did you know that the local American Red Cross teaches a course about HIV/AIDS Awareness within the community? The class is taught the first Thursday of each month (unless otherwise scheduled) to teach the community about HIV/AIDS and other bloodborn pathogens. Check out our calendar for a list of current trainings.

For more information about the World AIDS Campaign or information about HIV/AIDS check out: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/

Today officially marks the end of the Hurricane Season for 2009! It has been a relatively quite season this year with only a few surprises (Claudette and Ida). We just wanted to give a huge SHOUT OUT to all of our wonderful volunteers who have assisted us this year in our disaster responses.

Even though hurricane season is at an end, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to prepare! With the weather getting cooler, it is important that you take the necessary precautions to keep your family safe from house fires and severe weather events. For information on how you can continue to be prepared visit our website!

Again, THANK YOU to all of our volunteers!

Welcome to the Worldwide Wednesday Wrap-Up, in which we consolidate the international Red Cross and Red Crescent news into one list of bite-sized links for you. It’s a non-comprehensive sampling of the larger and/or more intriguing aspects of our global work…

[The place names link to maps so that you can get a quick idea of the region.]

PAKISTAN: With ICRC support, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society is operating mobile health clinics for victims of violence in Waziristan. 

NEPAL: Where hundreds of people have lost an arm or leg to conflict, accident or disease, the ICRC runs a physical rehabilitation program. This week they launched a five-day “Amputee Follow-up” camp for more than 80 people to have their artificial limbs checked, adjusted and repaired.

Yesterday, we invited the media for a sneak preview of our almost completed new Chapter building. We are counting down the days until move in and are very excited to soon be opening our doors to the public at the new Chapter House!!

Below are some exerts from the Tallahassee Democrat or click here to see the video:

“We are excited to be able to have this facility in Tallahassee,” Eaton said. “The capabilities are tremendous compared to what they were.”

This week kicks off Florida State University’s International Education Week starting today, Monday 16th through the 20th. The International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.  In partnership with FSU, our Chapter will be holding the American Red Cross Humanity in the Midst of War: An International Humanitarian Law course this week on Tuesday, November 17th and Thursday, November 19th at FSU CAMPUS. In Light of International Education Week we at the Chapter wanted to highlight some of the Red Cross’s International Efforts and Initiatives:

The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative—led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization—provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns and disease surveillance worldwide.  To learn more or make a donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.

Key Statistics

• Between 2000 and 2007, global measles mortality in all ages was reduced by 74%, from an estimated 750,000 deaths in 2000 to an estimated 197,000 deaths in 2007.

• Estimated deaths from measles by WHO regions in 2007:
• Southeast Asia:                136,000
• Africa:                              45,000
• Eastern Mediterranean:        10,000
• Western Pacific:                  7,000
• Americas and Europe:          <1,000

• The largest percent reductions during this time period were in the Eastern Mediterranean and African regions (where measles mortality decreased by 90% and 89% respectively); followed by the Western Pacific region (73% reduction) and the South East Asian Region (42% reduction). In the region of the Americas, measles has not been endemic since 2002.

• From 2000 to 2007, approximately 3.6 million deaths were averted as a result of accelerated activities (both increases in routine coverage and implementation of measles campaigns).

• Since 2001, the Measles Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children, mostly in Africa and Asia.

• Of the 22 countries conducting vaccination campaigns in 2007, 18 (82%) countries integrated the campaigns with at least one other child survival intervention such as an insecticide-treated bed net, de-worming medicine, vitamin A, or polio vaccine.

• Between 2000 and 2007, global routine immunization coverage increased from 72% to 82%. Coverage varied significantly across geographical regions.  In the Africa region, routine coverage rose from 56% to 74%; in the Eastern Mediterranean region, from 73% to 84%; in the South East Asia region from 61% to 73%; and in the Western Pacific region, from 86% to 92%

• In 2007, more than 23 million one-year old children did not receive a dose of measles vaccine through routine immunization services. An estimated 15.2 million (65%) of these reside in 8 large countries: India (8.5 million children), Nigeria (2.0 million), China (1.0 million), Ethiopia (1.0 million), Indonesia (0.9 million), Pakistan (0.8 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (0.6 million) and Bangladesh (0.5 million).

• From 1998 through 2007, WHO’s measles and rubella laboratory network (MRLN) expanded from less than 40 laboratories to 679 national and subnational laboratories serving 164 countries.

• Our work is far from over. An estimated 540 children die from measles each day.

In addition to promoting our International Humanitarian Law course we will be offering this week, we also thought its a perfect segway to introduce the “World Wide Wrap Up” segment we will be adding to our blog. We hope that these brief articles will help you learn more about the American Red Cross and its Internationl counterpart, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies.

[The place names link to maps so that you can get a quick idea of the region.]

UGANDA: “Some had never been hugged until they scored their first goal…” Former child soldiers meet not on the battlefield, but the soccer field for a friendly match supported by the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support.

Here at the Chapter, we want to give a huge round of applause for all of our volunteers who gave their time to man the booth at the North Florida Fair this year. It was a huge success!!

We gave out over a 1000 packets this year containing preparedness materials and hurricane survival guides. The Holiday Mail for Heroes was a HUGE success as well. We collected a ton of cards and handed out flyers for the campaign. The Chapter will continue to collect cards for this cause until December 7th.  So yet, again we want to say:

Thank You, Volunteers!

This week kicks off Florida State University’s International Education Week starting today, Monday 16th through the 20th. The International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of FSU’s efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. For more information about FSU’s International Education Week, please visit their website.

In partnership with FSU, our Chapter will be holding the American Red Cross Humanity in the Midst of War: An International Humanitarian Law course this week on Tuesday, November 17th and Thursday, November 19th at FSU CAMPUS. The course will be co-instructed by Patrick Kelley, Senior Director of Preparedness and Response and Susan Eckards, from Jacksonville Red Cross Chapter. The Red Cross International Humanitarian Law course is intended to raise awareness among American Red Cross representatives and general audiences about the Geneva Conventions, the basic rules of international humanitarian law, and the role of the Red Cross during armed conflict.

The course has a hands-on approach utilizing group activities, class discussion and multiple audiovisual aids, that  invites participants to reflect on their images and perceptions of armed conflict and explore the powerful and fundamental concept of human dignity even in the midst of the excesses of war. For more information about the Humanity in the Midst of War, please email Patrick Kelley (Patrick.Kelley@tallyredcross.org) or call the Chapter at 850-878-6080

Today is a very special day, a day we pay homage to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to keep our country safe.  This means ALL servicemen and women.

From the Thirteen Colonies, to our 51 United States men and women who believed in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” have, throughout our history, fought for those rights and Veteran’s Day is our chance to say, “Thank you!!!”

• Say a prayer for the brave men and women overseas. 
• Say a special prayer for their families, who make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
• Share with your children what this day means, and what it means to be an American!
• If you don’t own an American Flag, purchase one, and fly it proudly in front of your home or business? 
• Visit your local VFW, or Memorial to pay your respects.
• Attend your local Veteran’s Day Parade.
• Shake the hand of a serviceman or woman when they walk by, and say, “Thanks.”
• To learn more about the History of Veterans Day

Additionally, to find out more about the Local Veteran’s Day Events going on in Tallahassee click here.