Widely thought of as the most recognized
international health awareness day, the
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/
AIDS, or UNAIDS, organized the event
until 2004. Since then, it has been
organized by the World AIDS Campaign's
Global Steering Committee.
"World AIDS Day has been, for many
years, an opportunity for people to think
about what AIDS means, what it has
done to us as a society," del Rio said.
Each World AIDS Day is centered around
a theme used to educate the public on
topics related to AIDS awareness. The
themes typically last one or two years
and have included topics such as "AIDS
and the Family," "Stigma and
Discrimination," and "Universal Access
and Human Rights."
Saturday is second World AIDS Day with
the theme of "Getting to Zero," which is
a campaign that will last until 2015. The
theme revolves around the World AIDS
Day target of "zero new HIV infections,
zero discrimination and zero AIDS related
deaths."
"The potential for creative, connected
and meaningful campaigning is really
exciting," said World AIDS Campaign
Africa Director Linda Mafu in a
statement. "Our organization will focus
on zero AIDS related deaths, but the
choice is there for others to pick a
different 'zero' or all three."
Organizers have set 10 goals to reach by
2015, including reducing sexually
transmitted cases of HIV by half,
preventing all new HIV infections among
people who use drugs and addressing
HIV/AIDS-related health needs of women
and girls.
And this year, World AIDS Day is
specifically focusing on working towards
an AIDS-free generation.
"Maybe not for my children's or their
children's generation, but two or three
generations from now, maybe we can see
AIDS as something from the past," said
del Rio. "And I think that would be a
lofty goal and fantastic accomplishment."
The theme comes at a dire time in the
fight against HIV, with only one third of
the 15 million who are HIV positive
receiving proper treatment. And despite
the advancements made with
antiretrovirals drugs, the number of new
infections exceeds the number of people
starting treatment.
However, del Rio suggested World AIDS
Day and other prevention programs have
helped because the most recent data
shows a drop in the number of new cases
and deaths.
Another major goal of Getting to Zero is
rights-based, ensuring that people living
with HIV/AIDS have a voice among
policymakers by advocating for the
removal of laws that punish drug users,
homosexuals and sex workers.
"Decision makers need to understand
that people living with HIV, the
marginalized, the dispossessed, all of us,
want our rights," Mafu said.
But perhaps the most basic mission of
World AIDS Day is to promote support
for those who have HIV/AIDS.
"We can take care of them with
compassion and provide them help," said
del Rio. "Helping people to take care of
themselves is a very important part of
addressing the epidemic."

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judging from the fact that diseases such as polio, malaria e.t.c. have been eradicated in the u.s. and other western countries while these diseases are still affecting people in Nigeria, is an AIDS-free generation attainable in Nigeria?

Judging from the fact that diseases such as polio, malaria e.t.c. have been eradicated in the u.s. and other western countries while these diseases are still affecting people in Nigeria, is an AIDS-free generation attainable in Nigeria?