Posted: Dec 01, 2011 | Category: Special Day
Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.
According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 34 million people living with HIV. During 2010 some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus, including an estimated 390,000 children. Despite a significant decline in the estimated number of AIDS-related deaths over the last five years, there were still an estimated 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths in 2010.1
The vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in low- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.
The theme for World AIDS Day 2011 is 'Getting to Zero'. After 30 years of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, this year the global community has committed to focusing on achieving 3 targets:
This 23rd World AIDS Day is being celebrated with the theme "Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths".2
In 2010, there were 2.7 million new HIV infections and 1.8 million people died from AIDS.3 Moreover, in 2011 people living with HIV were still subject to restrictions on their travel and/or stay in 47 countries, territories and areas.
As AVERT.org shows, the global HIV epidemic is extremely diverse, with both similarities and differences between regions, countries, provinces and communities. However, in order to meet the challenge of 'Getting to Zero' the global community must work together to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care.
World AIDS Day provides an opportunity for all of us - individuals, communities and political leaders - to take on the challenge of getting to zero.
(Source: Averting HIV and AIDS: http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm)
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