#LiveAIDS – PIANOBOY sings QUEEN songs with love for a musical icon. Online concert in memory of AIDS victims.
May 17 is the International AIDS Memorial Day. To mark this day, the largest patient-led organization CO “100% Life” initiates an online memorial concert – LIVE AIDS – a tribute concert of Queen performed by PIANOBOY.
In 1992, a concert in memory of Freddie Mercury and all AIDS victims was held at Wembley Stadium in London. Dozens of artists on stage and an audience of millions around the world honored the musician. Almost 30 years have passed since then, but HIV/AIDS continues to spread.
“After so many years, we are still fighting for life and against HIV. We are sure of our victory because today we can live with HIV full lives, have families, and healthy children. We have a treatment that allows YOU, but not the disease, to choose the quality of your life. Freddie Mercury is a symbol of struggle; he lived 100% life regardless of his status. With this concert, we want to honor the memory of everyone who was taken away by the epidemic and emphasize: you do not have to die of HIV anymore! We are very happy and grateful that Dmytro Shurov and the PIANOBOY band on this day will perform Queen songs, which are the music of the struggle for millions of people around the world living with HIV,” said Dmytro Sherembei, Chairperson of CO “100% Life.”
On the International Memorial Day of People Who Died from AIDS, Dmytro Shurov, together with his son Lev and sister Olga, will play covers of the QUEEN band.
“I’ve been a fan of Queen since I was young. This unique life-affirming music more than once pulled me out of an emotional bottom, gave me the strength to live and create. Even in the gloomiest songs, Freddie recorded during his illness there is certain resilience and a phenomenal love of life. I also had a chance to touch this kind of magic – I met Brian May and we played with him and Zemfira together one of my favorite songs – ‘Life is Real’. It is a great honor and, most importantly, a pleasure for me to pay respect to an outstanding musician who still influences world music. I will be happy to share it with everyone who loves life as much as Freddie did,” said Dmitro Shurov.
The online concert will take place on May 17 at 08:00 PM on the “100% Life’s” Facebook page.
The title LIVE AIDS reminds of the Live Aid charity music festival in London in 1985, where Freddie Mercury performed.
Anyone in any part of the world can join the concert online.
Find more stories about 100% life with HIV, following the hashtag #LiveAIDS for Memorial Day.
We would like to emphasize that you do not have to die of HIV anymore. There are medicines and services available that allow people to live 100%-life. Get tested for HIV, know your status, and live!
You can find the nearest testing site using the HIVtest mobile app or on the website prozdorovia.in.ua
For additional information, please contact Yuliia Chechotkina, y.chechotkina@network.org.ua, (066) 95 95 567
#LiveAIDS
Information on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ukraine (according to the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine):
- Today Ukraine is one of the first countries in the European region according to the number of HIV-positive people.
- According to estimates, at the beginning of 2019, about 240,000 HIV-positive people live in Ukraine. Every hundredth citizen of Ukraine aged from 15 to 49 is infected with HIV; it is one of the highest rates among the countries of this region.
- Between 1987 and 2018, in Ukraine, 333,717 cases of HIV infection were officially registered, including 111,044 cases of AIDS and 48,456 deaths from AIDS-related diseases.
- During 2018, every day, 50 cases of HIV infection, 24 cases of AIDS, and nine deaths from AIDS-related diseases were registered in Ukraine.
- Tuberculosis remains the main cause of death among AIDS patients – more than 50% of all cases.
- As of January 1, 2019, 142,061 HIV-infected citizens of Ukraine were under medical supervision in health care facilities.
- The highest prevalence of HIV infection is in Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Chernihiv oblasts, and the city of Kyiv.
- The incidence is increasing in all regions of Western Ukraine, as well as in Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy oblasts, and the city of Kyiv.
- As of January 1, 2019, 102,432 persons received therapy, while in 2009 the number of such people was 15,871. Therapy allows people with HIV to live!
- More than 50% of people aged 15 and older are firstly diagnosed at the 3rd and 4th clinical stages of HIV infection when their health conditions were already unsatisfactory. Timely testing can change this situation for the better!
- The main route of HIV transmission remains sexual – 65.6%.
- A timely diagnosis of HIV status and initiation of treatment guarantees long and full life.
- HIV testing in Ukraine is free. You can find the nearest testing site using the HIVtest mobile app or on the website prozdorovia.in.ua
