Founder and President of SocialVibe, Joe Marchese traveled to Pakistan last week to speak about reinventing philanthropy at the International Youth Conference and Festival.
While there, he met Marc Koska, a man on a mission whose message had to be shared.
Nearly three decades ago, Marc read an article claiming that reused syringes would eventually be one of the major causes of the spread of AIDS. He decided right then that he had to do something about it.
Sadly, the article's prediction has come true, but Marc has kept his vow to do all that he can to stop it.
To help combat the spread of deadly viruses through syringes, Marc invented the auto-disable syringe, a cost-saving and life-saving syringe that locks after a single use. It’s use is now mandatory in government health facilities in India and Marc is working with UN Ambassadors to make the same changes in all countries.
Time after time, we witness how important awareness is. Positive change happens faster when people take the time to share a message. Below is a message from Marc (via CNN) – share it.
- “Twenty-five years ago I read a newspaper article which said that one day, reused syringes would be one of the major causes of the spread of AIDS. I thought this was totally unacceptable and decided to do something about it. Sadly, it's come true. The toll from the reuse of syringes now exceeds that of malaria, with deaths due to this practice estimated at about 1.3 million each year. Every 24 seconds a child dies as a result of receiving an unsafe injection. The transmission method is crude -- blood-borne viruses are transmitted from patient to patient as body fluid is transferred by reusing a needle and syringe multiple times… In 2006, I set up the SafePoint Trust to generate awareness, petition for consistent regulation, and ensure compliance.”
Visit lifesaveraction.org to learn more about stopping the reuse of syringes in developing countries.
Support Safe Injections for Pakistan on Facebook here.
Learn more about the International Youth Conference and Festival at www.iycf2010.com.
