2009's World AIDS Day theme/slogan is: "Universal Access and Human Rights"
Since the first time we started listening,knowing,reading and thinking about AIDS a few advances have been made,though there is still a fierce battle to be fought against the poor response to HIV/AIDS pandemic crisis around the world in some key areas: ignorance, lack of information, myths, tabooes, prevention, care and treatment and research.
Maybe the research and finding a possible cure for it, is what is more urgent,because that would stop deaths of people who live with AIDS,no matter the way they contracted the terrible disease,all of them are victims who are suffering....
We must never forget that none of us is exempt of AIDS, maybe a friend of ours,a lover (or a former one),a son, a brother, sister,etc has already gotten this disease, no matter if we are straight, heterosexual, gay, adult, married, single or even a baby,and also disabled people... there is always a risk if we get sick or have an accident and we get infected blood,if we don't use protection when we have sex, etc....risks are unlimited.
"Leadership"=Trying to inspire all citizens around the world to take the lead in fighting and breaking down ignorance and fear about HIV, if we talk to those who still don't know about AIDS,or if we talk to those who can be an important key for finding a cure and developing a vaccine against HIV,we will be an active member of our world and we will be doing our best for at least saving a life...one life is enough!
All people is invited to join the effort and participate for fighting AIDS in our world...if you don't join, if apathy gets you...one day you might regret had avoided to at least speak your mind on the issue...
How can people participate?:
A prayer for those suffering AIDS and a thought of hope for the finding of a cure...
Thank you for the time spent on reading this info...
Sandra Villanueva.
World AIDS Vaccine Day and the Global Call for Action
>History of the Call for Action
December 1, 2009 marked the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.
The response to AIDS has changed greatly since 1988, when health ministers from around the world established the day to raise awareness about HIV.
The occasion’s official slogan was an ambitious “Stop AIDS” We at IAVI agree that is the appropriate agenda.In 20 years, important advances have been made expanding HIV prevention campaigns and getting life-prolonging treatments to HIV-infected individuals. However, this anniversary highlights how much more work still needs to be done in the fight against AIDS.
This year:
An estimated 33 million people were living with HIV;
There were 2.7 million new HIV infections, or 7,500 each day;
There were 2 million AIDS-related deaths. Clearly, the world needs better tools for preventing people from becoming infected with HIV.
An effective, preventive vaccine offers hope for not just ameliorating the AIDS epidemic but ending it.
On 18 May 2001 IAVI launched the Global Call for Action, a multi-lingual online campaign aimed at building awareness and support for AIDS vaccine research and access. The timing of the campaign's unveiling coincided withWorld AIDS Vaccine Day to observe the urgent need for a vaccine that prevents HIV infection and AIDS. The campaign features an e-petition urging world leaders to not only take decisive action to speed the search for preventative AIDS vaccines, but also ensure the availability of the vaccines for all who needed them. The petition also calls for further public and private sector investment in AIDS vaccines without diverting money from therapeutics or other prevention efforts.
World leaders added their support to the Global Call for Action. Former US President Bill Clinton signed the petition after his speech at the annual Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Lecture on AIDS in London, urging governments of industrialized nations to provide financial incentives to encourage increased vaccine development from private companies.
Read more and see important info...
World AIDS Vaccine Day - At a Glance-2008
From: IAVI.org
On May, 18, 1997, during a commencement speech at Morgan State University, President Bill Clinton challenged the world to develop an AIDS vaccine within a decade, setting a "new national goal for science in the age of biology." Ten years after Clinton's speech, an effective AIDS vaccine continues to elude us. HIV/AIDS has killed more than 25 million people worldwide and poses a serious threat to the economic and political stability of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic. But we are making important strides in finding an effective vaccine, and as HIV continues to outpace the global response, developing an AIDS vaccine remains one of the greatest public health and social imperatives facing the world today.
For every person who receives life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ARVs), seven others become newly infected. Only 28 percent of HIV-infected individuals in the developing world have access to ARVs, and the long-term costs of treatment and care escalate rapidly each year. UNAIDS conservatively estimates that US$12.5 billion will be required over the next two years to fund AIDS treatment and care in the developing world alone.
"Ten years ago the AIDS vaccine effort was languishing," stated Seth Berkley, President and CEO, IAVI. "Today, new players, vigor and commitment have enabled IAVI and the field to effectively overcome huge barriers. We still have a distance to travel before we can realize President Clinton's objective, but I am confident that we will get there, if our best scientific minds work together on this enormous problem, and world leaders and their communities back our important efforts."
Since 1997, funding for AIDS vaccines has quadrupled, and political support for vaccines has grown tremendously. In addition, the field has made advances in its understanding of HIV and ways to design an effective vaccine against it. New consortia are aggressively examining crucial scientific questions, and nearly 20,000 volunteers are currently committed to advancing AIDS vaccine research in more than 30 vaccine trials across two dozen countries worldwide. In 2007, we saw the start of Africa's first large-scale AIDS vaccine efficacy trial involving 3,000 volunteers in South Africa.
"The global community cannot afford to wait another decade to find better HIV prevention technologies. Significant shifts in the way research and development initiatives are funded, organized and conducted are needed so that we can shorten the timeline to a vaccine against AIDS," said Berkley.
December 1st, 2008
Welcome to World AIDS Day - the international day of action on HIV and AIDS which takes place every year on December 1st.
Respect & Protect
The UK theme for World AIDS Day 2008, "Respect & Protect", is inspired by the UNAIDS and World AIDS Campaign ongoing international theme, 'Leadership'. The international theme is developed as an overall theme which each country is encouraged to adapt to suit more specific issues around the epidemic in their region.
Each year NAT adapts the international theme to make it relevant to HIV in the UK — developing an appropriate theme and call to action, and producing new and unique visuals and materials to reflect these messages. Developed through consultation with people living with HIV, young people and relevant organisations in the UK, this year's Respect & Protect theme translates the global theme Leadership for a UK audience, setting out an agenda for individuals to take the lead in their own life.
Respect & Protect is inclusive and highlights the responsibility everyone has to transform attitudes to HIV and encourage actions that stop its spread.
Respect & Protect inspires individuals to consider the different roles they can play:
*Show respect by always treating people living with HIV fairly, respecting their confidentiality and challenging prejudice wherever it occurs.
*Respect themselves and their partners by always practising safe sex to protect their sexual health.
*Find out the facts about HIV, spread the Respect & Protect message and encourage others to do the same
HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system - the body's defence against diseases. The latest research suggests that between 70 and 90 per cent of people may experience symptoms of infection a few days after having been infected. Three symptoms occurring together: fever, rash and a severe sore throat should always be considered a potential indicator of HIV infection. These symptoms usually disappear within two or three weeks. Other people may not have symptoms to start with. In all cases, without effective treatment the immune system will eventually become very weak and no longer be able to fight off illnesses.
Are HIV and AIDS the same? No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.
I don't know anyone with HIV... do I? There are approximately 80,000 people living with HIV in the UK and about a third of these don't know that they are infected. The epidemic is still growing in the UK with around 7,000 new diagnoses every year. Even if someone you know is living with HIV, they may not feel able to tell you.
Is there a cure for HIV? No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment. If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective in preventing AIDS.
What's it like living with HIV? If people with HIV are diagnosed early and respond to treatment they can be healthy, work and have relationships like anyone else and have a long life expectancy.
Coming to terms with an HIV diagnosis and getting used to treatment can be very difficult however, and people living with HIV will often need support from healthcare providers, friends and family, employers and support organisations.
Why do people find it hard to tell others they are HIV positive? People living with HIV may find it hard to tell others about their condition as they worry that people will reject them, or they will experience prejudice from friends, family and colleagues. People living with HIV can also experience discrimination in their workplace, in healthcare settings (e.g., GPs and dentists), from members of their local community and through the media.
HIV prejudice is often the result of ignorance about how HIV is passed on and unfounded fear of becoming infected. Encouraging those around us to talk about HIV and find out the facts can help overcome this.
Why do we wear Red Ribbons to mark World Aids Day?
The red ribbon is worn as a sign of support for people living with HIV. Wearing a red ribbon for World AIDS Day is a simple and powerful way to challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV and AIDS that prevents us from tackling HIV in the UK and internationally.
The red ribbon has been an international symbol of AIDS awareness since 1991. The Red Ribbon Project was created by the New York based organisation Visual AIDS, which brought together artists to create a symbol of support for the growing number of people living with HIV in the US.
The red ribbon is the result of collaboration between community artists who wanted to create a non-copyrighted image that could be used as an awareness-raising tool by people across the world.
Visit World AIDS Day.org and read more interesting info.
Previous World AIDS Day themes
World AIDS Day themes over the years have included:
Say It's Not True - FREE 46664 Download song and video at Queen Online
Queen and Paul Rodgers Brand New Recording For Free Download Especially For Nelson Mandela's 46664 On World Aids Day Available Via Queenonline
Spurred on by their commitments as Ambassadors to Nelson Mandela's 46664 HIV AIDS global campaign, on which the spotlight will fall December 1 with a World Aids Day awareness and fundraising concert in Johannesburg, South Africa, Brian, Roger and Paul have announced they have rushed to finish a track specially written for 46664 by Roger and have it available as a free download in time for this coming Saturday's benefit concert.
The track, Roger's "Say It's Not True", originally came to light for the launch of the 46664 campaign back in November 2003. Roger wrote the song as a gift to Nelson Mandela (or 'Madiba', as he is fondly know), and performed it live for him for the first time with Brian and Dave Stewart at the inaugural 46664 concert in Cape Town that month. The song carries the message that HIV AIDS is something that can affect any one of us.
Having played two previous 46664 concerts, but committed in the studio this year, Roger, Brian, and Paul decided to revisit the song, with all three of them sharing the vocals, and to make the song the band's message of support to Nelson Mandela this year.
"By making the song available for free", says Taylor, "we hope to help Madiba with his campaign to get across the message that no-one is safe from infection. We have to be aware, we have to protect ourselves and those we love. The song follows the line of his personal message: it's in our own hands to bring a stop to this."
A specially made video for "Say It's Not True" will be premiered during this Saturday's 46664 Johannesburg World AIDS Day concert and the track will be made available as a FREE download exclusively on www.queenonline.com and through www.46664.com www.46664global.com, www.queenpluspaulrodgers.com and www.paulrodgers.com for World Aids Day, December 1.
For the full press release go to www.queenonline.com
World AIDS Day: Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise-2006
From: One.org
World AIDS Day is a yearly, global event started in January 1988 to promote awareness and action in the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS estimates, there were 37.2 million adults and 2.2 million children worldwide living with HIV at the end of 2004. During the year 4.9 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world. In Africa alone, more than 17 million people have died from AIDS and another 25 million are infected with the HIV virus, approximately 1.9 million of whom are children. Every day in Africa, HIV/AIDS kills 6,300 people. 8,500 people are infected with the HIV virus and 1,400 newborn babies are infected during childbirth.
This year, the theme of World AIDS Day is "Stop Aids: Keep the Promise" which reminds us that our government leaders need to be held accountable for their commitments to the fight against AIDS and act in order to delivered the promised results.
World AIDS Day 2004(Wheels for Independence)
http://www.wheelsforindependence.biz/article.php?story=20051203065153368