World AIDS Day 2008

The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organizations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic.

This year is the 20th anniversary of World Aids Day. The theme this year is leadership, reminding leaders of their promise to do what they can to help eradicate AIDS. Many leaders over the years have made promises they have not kept.

Now is the time to remind world leaders that AIDS is a world wide problem, and needs world wide attention to find a cure; to stop the invasive disease that has taken so many from us over the years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "around the world, 33 million people are living with HIV with nearly 7,500 new infections occurring each day. An estimated 3 million people are now receiving antiretroviral treatment in low and middle-income countries.

In the United States, CDC estimates that about 1.1 million people are living with HIV. These numbers will most likely increase over time...As expected, as the number of people living with HIV grows, so does the opportunity for those with HIV to pass on the virus to others.

CDC currently estimates that approximately one in five persons living with HIV in the United States is unaware of his or her infection and may be unknowingly transmitting the virus to others. Since anyone can be at risk for HIV, CDC recommends that adults and adolescents between the ages of 13 and 64 years of age be routinely screened for HIV infection in healthcare settings. Pregnant women in the U.S. should be screened for HIV infection as part of their routine prenatal testing.

Individuals can:

Get tested for HIV. To find a testing site center near you, visit hivtest.org or, on your cell phone, text your zip code to Know IT (566948).

Participate in the Facing AIDS campaign. Take a picture of yourself wearing a red ribbon and add the photo to the "World AIDS Day 08" Flickr group*, your social network profiles, Twitter, blog, and/or Web site before December 1. Leave it up for at least a week.

Stand up against stigma, racism, and other forms of discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS.

Donate time and money to HIV/AIDS organizations.

Organizations are encouraged to:

Promote World AIDS Day in your organization. Useful materials are available at hivtest.org

Encourage employees to get involved in World AIDS Day.

Educate staff about HIV/AIDS.

Develop HIV/AIDS policies for the workplace."

AIDS is a worldwide problem that touches many millions of lives. Please encourage the leadership in your area of the world to keep promoting AIDS research, prevention, and testing.