World HIV Day

World HIV AIDS Day is observed on 1st December every year. It aims to familiarize the entire world population about this deadly pandemic, so that our future generations remain safe from it. Campaigns, seminars, speeches, rallies and lectures are organized, so that people start thinking seriously about this issue.

History:

James.W.Bunn and Thomas Netter, the two public information officers of the World Health Organization’s global programs on AIDS, pioneered the concept of World Aids Day. They took the idea to the director of this global body, Dr. Jonathan Mann, who liked the concept of World AIDS Day, and approved it. This day came into being on 1st December 1988, during the presidential term of Ronald Reagan. The joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), came into existence in 1996, to take over the entire coordination of World HIV AIDS Day.

The first two propaganda of the World AIDS Day focused mainly on women and children. It was an effort to reduce the further possibilities of multiplication of this disease through human reproduction

process. As a result, the common people became more familiar to the concept of AIDS and its consequences.

But, the idea of focusing mainly on children and women was criticized by one school of thought, as they felt people from all age groups should be taught about this disease. However in 2004, The World AIDS Day became an independent body.

Every year, the UNAIDS choose an annual theme, as the main focus for the World AIDS Day.

The dateline goes like:

1988- Communication
1989- Youth
1990- Women
1991- Challenges
1992- Community commitment
1993- Acts 1994- AIDS and family
1995- Shared rights and responsibilities
1996- One world. One hope
1997- Children
1998- Force for change
1999- Listen, learn, live
2000- AIDS: Men make a difference
2001- I care. Do you?
2002- Stigma and discrimination
2003- Stigma and discrimination
2004- Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005- Stop AIDS. Keep the promise (accountability)
2007- Stop AIDS keep the promise (leadership)
2008- Stop AIDS and keep the promise (Lead-Empower-Deliver)
2009- Universal access and Human Rights

Purpose:

The UNAIDS estimate that there are 33.4 million people in the world suffering from HIV, of which 2.1 million are children. In 2009, 2 million people across the world were recorded dead due to AIDS. Most of the patients fall prey to HIV before the age of 35, and die by the time they are 60 or even much before. Therefore, this day prompts to teach people about the myths, associated with the disease. It informs the ignorant and the misinformed about the facts of AIDS and tries to dispel the stigma associated to the disease. This day encourages the government, faith organizations, community organizations and NGOs from the countries all over the world, to spread awareness about AIDS at a local level. These local bodies are often funded on World AIDS Day, by international bodies, to execute their agendas successfully.