1 December - World AIDS Day
On 1 December people all around the globe commemorate World AIDS Day.
On 1 December people all around the globe commemorate World AIDS Day.
In addition to the distress they cause, stigma and discrimination are major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention. For example, HIV prejudice prevents people living with HIV from acknowledging their HIV status publicly. People with, or suspected of having HIV, may be turned away from health care services, denied housing and employment, shunned by their friends and colleagues, turned down for insurance coverage or refused entry into foreign countries. In some cases, they may be evicted from home by their families, left by their partners, and suffer physical violence or even murder. The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS often extends to the children of those who are HIV positive, placing a huge emotional burden on children who may also have to cope with death of their parent(s) from AIDS. Some groups of people, for example gay men and people of Black African origin, experience multiple prejudice and discrimination based on both their HIV status and their ethnicity and /or sexuality.
Each year, the World AIDS Day focuses on a particular theme. This year’s theme is " Keep the Promise".
The World AIDS Campaign (WAC), who is now coordination the World AIDS Day, from 2005 to 2010 is calling on individuals and groups to support the theme “Stop AIDS. Keep the promise” aimed at governments and policy makers. The intention is to establish an international campaign to hold our leaders accountable for their promises and commitments and take the action necessary to deliver on them.
Achieving this ambition requires more support and action than people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS are able to generate on their own. What is needed is the involvement of more people from many different walks of life whether they are individuals or groups whether they are part of a trade union or a faith group or part of the women's movement or a young person wanting a better world in the future.
“Stop AIDS. Make the promise” has been developed by the WAC to provide that opportunity for people to get involved and make their voices heard and become part of a new global movement that will not accept that we are doing enough for the- 40 million people and counting, who need us all to get involved in this campaign.
Everyone can contribute whether that is by making your promise to support the campaign and its work or by actively promoting the campaign with friends and colleagues.
More information is available on the campaign’s website: http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/index.php/wac/wac/world_aids_day
If you organise events around the World AIDS Day and want to let other know, please publicise them also on our website’s Notice board.
