According to UNAIDS estimates, there are 38 million adults and 2.3 million children living with HIV, and during 2005 some 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.

Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, education and fighting prejudice. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

The theme for World AIDS Day

For many years, World AIDS Day has been organised by UNAIDS, who have chosen the theme after consultation with other organisations. However, in 2005 UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to an independent organisation known as The World AIDS Campaign (WAC).

The WAC’s theme for their campaign is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise". This theme is however not specific to World AIDS Day alone but to the work the WAC does throughout the year. It will also remain the focus until 2010.

This change in the way that World AIDS Day is organised has caused some confusion among HIV & AIDS organisations. Some have chosen to adopt “Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise” as their theme for World AIDS Day 2005. Others have, for the first time, picked their own topic for the events they’re holding this year on 1st December. Whatever you decide to do for World AIDS Day however, the most important thing is that you follow its basic principals by raising awareness and understanding where you live and by remembering the millions living with HIV or suffering because of AIDS.

You can find out more about supporting World AIDS day and publicising your events and websites below.

Past World AIDS Day themes have been:

• 2004 - Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
• 2003 - Stigma & Discrimination
• 2002 - Stigma & Discrimination
• 2001 - I care. Do you?
• 2000 - AIDS : Men make a difference
• 1999 - Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
• 1998 - Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
• 1997 - Children Living in a World with AIDS
• 1996 - One World, One Hope
• 1995 - Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
• 1994 - AIDS & the Family
• 1993 - Act
• 1992 - Community Commitment
• 1991 - Sharing the Challenge
• 1990 - Women & AIDS
• 1989 - Youth
• 1988 - Communication

More about "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise"

"Keep the Promise" is an appeal to governments and policy makers to ensure they meet the targets they have agreed to in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Some of the most important of these promises are contained in the UNGASS Declaration and the 3 by 5 Initiative:

The UNGASS Declaration of Commitment was signed by all 189 members of the UN in June 2001. The governments of these countries committed themselves to taking action on HIV and AIDS in the fields of leadership, prevention, care and support, treatment, reducing vulnerability, and human rights. The following targets were set for the end of 2005:

• Reduce HIV prevalence by 25% among men and women aged 15-24 in the most affected countries.


• Ensure that at least 90% of young people aged 15 to 24 have access to the information, education and services necessary to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.


• Reduce the proportion of infants infected with HIV by 20% by increasing access to services which prevent mother-to-child transmission.


• Increase annual spending on HIV and AIDS to $7-10 billion in low and middle-income countries and those countries experiencing or at risk of experiencing rapid expansion of HIV epidemics.

The 3 by 5 Initiative, which was launched by WHO and UNAIDS in December 2003, set the following target, which many governments promised to help achieve:

• Provide access to antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people living with HIV in developing and transitional countries by the end of 2005. (Learn more about 3 by 5 in our treatment section.)

People have a right to hold governments and policy makers to account as they announce whether these promises have been kept, and whether enough progress is being made towards longer-term targets.

One of the Millennium Development Goals - to which all members of the UN have committed - is to have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. Substantial progress must be made by the end of 2005 to ensure that our leaders will be able to keep this promise, too.

The red ribbon

The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people all year round and particularly around World AIDS Day to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support and commitment.

The red ribbon started as a "grass roots" effort, and as a result there is no official red ribbon, and many people make their own. It's easily done - just use some ordinary red ribbon and a safety pin!

What can I do to support World AIDS Day?

There are many ways in which you can support World AIDS Day. For example:

• Raise awareness of HIV and AIDS in your area
• Wear a red ribbon and ask others to do the same
• Protect yourself and your partners - this is the first and best way to stop the spread of HIV
• If you are worried - get tested.

At school or work, you can support World AIDS Day by:

• Having a dressing up, down or fancy dress day
• Putting up some posters (see below) - get people talking
• Selling red ribbons
• Organising a creative writing/poster campaign
• Setting up a debate or a quiz - there're lots of ideas for topics on our site
• Cooking an international meal or having a cake sale
• Arranging a sponsored three-legged race or balloon release
• Getting your friends, family, colleagues or pupils to express their feelings and expand their knowledge about AIDS
• Using your imagination!

World AIDS Day on the web

The internet is a great way to reach people all around the world - other people in many countries are reading this page right now. People now spend more of their daily lives online - at work, at school, at home. People shop, chat, make new friends, study and work online. If you want to get a message to as many people as possible, this could be the way to do it.

Think about:

• Providing information on your website about World AIDS Day, and about any local events taking place in your community.


• Asking your school, college or employer to provide information on their website.


• Downloading campaign material: AVERT.org has a selection of posters, booklets and fliers that you can use in our education section. If you'd like to use anything from anywhere else in the site, please send us an email - we'll check the copyright situation and get back to you. Please don't just copy big chunks of our site!


• Learning more about HIV and AIDS: AVERT.org has a great deal of information about the global epidemic, HIV and AIDS statistics and education. Other sites specifically related to the "Keep the Promise" theme can be found in our links page.


• Publicising your event or website on our website!

Publicise your event or website on AVERT.org!

Do you run a website about World AIDS Day in your country / area? Perhaps you just have a single page about an event you’re going to hold? If so, you can publicise it right here by sending us a link!

World AIDS Campaign	Official website of the World AIDS Campaign
NAT World AIDS Day site	The UK's National AIDS Trust World AIDS Day site, featuring extensive event listings and resources
World AIDS Day, Ghana	Details of this year's World AIDS Day Durbar in Bolgatanga
Peace Tiles World AIDS Day Art Actions	Global Youth art installation project
Global AIDS Rainbow	UK charity selling variety of WAD and other HIV/AIDS products
The NAT shop	AIDS awareness merchandise from the UK's National AIDS Trust
Bradford (UK) World AIDS Day Campaign	Sign a petition to encourage the UK government to keep its promises on AIDS
World AIDS Day Australia	Info and campaign materials related to the national theme "HIV/AIDS: Let's talk about it"
London Gay Symphony Orchestra	A concert of works by Britten, Tchaikovsky and young composer Sam Watts
Ann Arbor's World AIDS Week	Free, public events taking place at the University of Michigan
AIDSWatch	Website inviting people to submit the name of anyone they know who has died of AIDS for inclusion in a televised memorial
US Government World AIDS Day site	Event listings and materials to download from the Office of Minority Health

Raise money for an AIDS charity

Raising money for AVERT or another AIDS charity will help valuable AIDS work to continue, as well as raising awareness. Quite simply, helping AIDS charities will save people's lives.

At AVERT we support overseas projects in countries such as South Africa and India, as well as running this website. Find out more about AVERT.

Unlike many AIDS charities we receive no government funding so we rely entirely on donations. We are very grateful for all donations of any size and you can send your donation by sending a cheque or money order (in any currency) through the post to:

AVERT
4 Brighton Road
Horsham
West Sussex
RH13 5BA
England

Or you can donate over the internet using our secure server.

You can also download a donations form.

Together we can work towards an AIDS-free world.

Take the World AIDS Day quiz

Think you know your stuff for World AIDS Day?

Try our World AIDS Day quiz.

Last updated March 31, 2006