World AIDS Day 2009

What is World AIDS Day?

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1. This worldwide effort is designed to: encourage public support and programming to prevent the spread of HIV infection; provide awareness and education about HIV/AIDS; and demonstrate compassion for those infected or affected by HIV.

World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988 after a summit of health ministers from around the world called for a spirit of social tolerance and a greater exchange of information on HIV/AIDS. Each year, a theme is chosen for World AIDS Day to unite the global effort to face the challenges of the AIDS pandemic. In 1996, UNAIDS was created to unite 6 global agencies in their response to HIV/AIDS. Today, UNAIDS has designated the organization, World AIDS Campaign, to oversee World AIDS Day.

On this page:
World AIDS Day Proclamation
World AIDS Day Themes: Past and Present
AIDS Facts
The Global AIDS/HIV Epidemic: An Interactive Timeline
World AIDS Day Sponsor Information

SEE ALSO:

• World AIDS Day Events Calendar
• How to Plan World AIDS Day Events
• World AIDS Day Photo Gallery
  
• National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: February 7
• National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: March 10
• National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: March 20
• National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: May 19
• National HIV Testing Day: June 27
• National Latino AIDS Awareness Day: October 15
• African World AIDS Day: December 5

Printer-friendly version of this fact sheet (PDF: 27 KB/1 page)

Here are past and present themes for World AIDS Day:

Year Theme
1988… Talk about HIV/AIDS
1989… Youth
1990… Women and AIDS
1991… Sharing the Challenge
1992… Community Commitment
1993… Time to Act
1994… AIDS and Families
1995… Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
1996… One World, One Hope
1997… Children Living in a World With AIDS
1998… Young People Can Be a Force for Change
1999… AIDS-Ending the Silence: Listen, Learn, Live
2000… AIDS-Men Make a Difference
2001… I Care, Do You?
2002… Stigma and Discrimination: Live and Let Live
2003… Stigma and Discrimination: Live and Let Live
2004… Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005-2010… Stop AIDS. Keep the promise.

World AIDS Day Theme and Slogan

The World AIDS Campaign - the international sponsor for World AIDS Day, is pleased to announce that the theme for 2009 is “Universal Access and Human Rights" to address the critical need to protect human rights and attain access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It also acts as a call to countries to remove laws that discriminate against people living with HIV, women and marginalized groups. This theme will be promoted under the overall campaign slogan from the last few years of, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” Specific localities are encouraged to develop their own relevant themes and messages for their areas under this main global theme and slogan.

Since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, infection with HIV has grown to pandemic proportions, resulting in an estimated 58 million infections and over 25 million deaths. HIV continues to disproportionately affect certain geographic regions (e.g., sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean) and subpopulations (e.g., women in sub-Saharan Africa, men who have sex with men, injection-drug users, and sex workers). Comprehensive programs are needed to reach all persons who require treatment and to prevent transmission of new infections.

World AIDS Day Proclamation

• World AIDS Day 2009 Proclamation (PDF: 142KB/1 page)
  

Governor Tim Pawlenty proclaimed December 1 as World AIDS Day in Minnesota. As AIDS and HIV continue to be a major public health concern here in Minnesota and worldwide, the Governor has joined the worldwide effort in battling the pandemic. A proclamation declaring Minnesota's observance is provided.

The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic: A Timeline of Key Milestones is designed to serve as an ongoing reference tool for many of the political, scientific, cultural and community events that have occurred over the history of the epidemic.

World AIDS Day International Sponsor

World AIDS Campaign
ATTN: Edwin Nichols, Communications Manager
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31 20 616 9045 (phone)
+31 20 521 0039 (fax)
worldaidsday@worldaidscampaign.org
http://www.worldaidscampaign.info/ Attention: Non-MDH link

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