AIDS Education Global Information System

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The AIDS Education Global Information System (AEGiS), located at www.aegis.org, is the world's largest Database of AIDS information. It was originally started as a small electronic bulletin board system (BBS) by Orange County resident Jamie Jemison in 1986. Sister Mary Elizabeth Clark, a transsexual pioneer, and US Navy/US Army veteran took it over in 1990, inspired by meeting an isolated young man with AIDS in rural Missouri. Under her direction and tireless effort, the database grew mightily and is now a key reference point for both popular and scientific information on AIDS.

Since 1992, AEGiS has sought out scientific abstracts from local, regional and international AIDS conferences, related news, reports, and journal articles and compiled them a fully-indexed, cross-referenced and keywords searchable database.

AEGiS is funded by the US National Library of Medicine, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, John M Lloyd Foundation, Roche / Trimeris, and the Bridgestone/Firestone Trust.

AEGiS was nominated to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) "Memory of the World" programme in 1999, based on its comprehensive coverage of the global AIDS pandemic.

AEGiS subscribes to the Health On The Net Foundation code of ethics (HONcode), and it has been in continuous compliance since January 2001.

[edit] References

• AEGiS.org
• Wing, prayer battle AIDS - AEGiS-archived Los Angeles Times story profiling Sr. Mary Elizabeth.
• AEGIS Nominated to UNESCO "Memory of the World" AEGiS-archived AIDS Treatment News story by John James.