World AIDS Day.html |
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World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.
AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007,1 and an estimated 33 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007,2 making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007,3 of which about 270,000 were children.4
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History of World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day at the World Health Organization was the brainchild of Jonathan Mann, director of the Global Programme on AIDS and personal AIDS proponant (GPA) at the World Health Organization (WHO).5 67 The concept of a World AIDS Day was supported at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention8 and by the Fourth International AIDS Conference in 1988.5 WHO declared December 1, 1988 as the first World AIDS Day.5 The United Nations General Assembly formally recognized the event in October 1988.5 Since then, the event has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.8
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) became operational in 1996, and it took over the planning and promotion of World AIDS Day.5 Rather than focus on a single day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education.59
In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children and young people. These themes were strongly criticized at the time for ignoring the fact that people of all ages may become infected with HIV and suffer from AIDS.5 But the themes drew attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped alleviate some of the stigma surrounding the disease, and helped boost recognition of the problem as a family disease.5
In 2004, the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization.5109
Choosing the theme
From its inception until 2004, UNAIDS spearheaded the World AIDS Day campaign, choosing annual themes in consultation with other global health organizations.
As of 2008, each year's World AIDS Day theme is chosen by the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee after extensive consultation with people, organizations and government agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.5 For each World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the theme will be "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.", with a yearly sub-theme.5 This overarching theme is designed to encourage political leaders to keep their commitment to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support by the year 2010.5
This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day, but is used year-round in WAC's efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit. World AIDS Campaign also conducts "in-country" campaigns throughout the world, like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, an infection-awareness campaign targeting young people throughout the UK.
| 1988 | Communication |
| 1989 | Youth |
| 1990 | Women and AIDS |
| 1991 | Sharing the Challenge |
| 1992 | Community Commitment |
| 1993 | Act |
| 1994 | AIDS and the Family |
| 1995 | Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities |
| 1996 | One World. One Hope |
| 1997 | Children Living in a World with AIDS |
| 1998 | Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People |
| 1999 | Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People |
| 2000 | AIDS: Men Make a Difference |
| 2001 | I care. Do you? |
| 2002 | Stigma and Discrimination |
| 2003 | Stigma and Discrimination |
| 2004 | Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS |
| 2005 | Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise |
| 2006 | Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Accountability |
| 2007 | Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership |
| 2008 | Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Lead - Empower - Deliver11 |
See also
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Wikinews has related news: World AIDS Day events held around the globe |
Notes
- ^ Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2008, (Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS, July 2008; English original), p. 15.
- ^ Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2008, (Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS, July 2008; English original), p. 32.
- ^ Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2008, (Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS, July 2008; English original), p. 30.
- ^ Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic 2008, (Geneva, Switzerland: UNAIDS, July 2008; English original), p. 37.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Speicher, Sara. "World AIDS Day Marks 20th Anniversary Of Solidarity." Medical News Today. November 19, 2008.
- ^ Brunner, Anne. "One of Those Moments of History: An Interview with Jonathan Mann." Sozial- und Präventivmedizin/Social and Preventive Medicine. 47:4 (September 2002).
- ^ Stocker, Carol. "One Mann Against AIDS." Boston Globe. November 30, 1990.
- ^ a b Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "Get Ready for World AIDS Day 2008." Press release, October 27, 2008.
- ^ a b van Soest, Marcel. "Accountability: Main Message on World AIDS Day." Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Oct 20, 2006.
- ^ Yearbook of the United Nations 2005. Vol. 59 Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Publications, 2007. ISBN 9211009677
- ^ Dr. Peter Piot, "2008 World AIDS Day statements," Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), November 30, 2008.
External links
- The Official Unite Against Aids Concert on World Aids Day
- The World AIDS Campaign
- AVERT.org's World AIDS Day page
- WorldAIDSDay.org
- AIDSPortal events page World AIDS Day and other AIDS related events
- Engenderhealth and World AIDS Day
- World AIDS Day
- World AIDS Day, Resources from the Kaiser Family Foundation
- "Echoes Of Yourself in The Mirror" is a trailer for documentary that features Cleve Jones, creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, speaking at San Francisco State University during World AIDS Day
- Love Amplified, World AIDS Day 2008 Concert in Singapore