SAN FRANCISCO — World AIDS Day, commemorated around the globe on Dec. 1 since 1988, celebrates progress made in the battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic and brings into focus remaining challenges.
For many years, World AIDS Day has been organized by UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Program on AIDS). In 2005, UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC) in order to support, strengthen and connect campaigns that hold leaders accountable for their promises on HIV and AIDS.
The theme of World AIDS Day 2005, "Stop AIDS. Keep the promise." will focus on keeping the commitment to stop AIDS at all levels: personal, community, organizational, and governmental.
The goal of the campaign is to energize and support an effective and sustained response to the AIDS epidemic. Crucial to its success will be increased public awareness of past policy commitments and promises on AIDS, including the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS agreed to by Heads of State and Representatives of Government in June 2001. The campaign aims to hold governments accountable for these promises.
The Executive Director of WAC, Marcel van Soest, is quoted on the WAC website saying, "In 2006 governments will be held to account on their response to HIV and AIDS and we can say now it is not only falling short, in some cases it borders on criminal neglect and we cannot and will not allow it to continue."
The website adds, "Donors to the Global Fund, including the U.S., must pledge the full amount needed to fund a 6th round of project grants. To keep stated commitments to the Fund, the U.S. will need to provide at least $700 million in 2006."
To further educate on the AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the report, "AIDS Epidemic Update 2005," on Nov. 21.
According to the report, over 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV or AIDS, and of those, 5 million were newly-infected in 2005. Most of these people live in towns and cities, so local governments have a crucial role to play in reversing the AIDS epidemic.
Cities such as Barcelona, Beijing, Buenos Aires, London, and Washington D.C. are linking their efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. Many awareness-raising events are being planned ranging from concerts, lectures, speakers, and "Red-Ribbon" days to support schools by giving students lessons and materials on AIDS prevention.
To date, 1500 local governments have been contacted and the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders on HIV and AIDS in Africa have also shown commitment to join in this initiative and will be encouraging their members to "Make a Promise" and participate in World AIDS Day.
For more information on the message of World Aids Campaign 2005 and beyond, please see www.worldaidscampaign.org . The full joint UNAIDS/World Heath Organization report, "AIDS epidemic update 2005" can be seen at www.unaids.org .
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