World Aids Day 2009

Today is officially World AIDS day, this year marked with an international theme of universal access & human rights.

Since 1988, the aim of World Aids Day has been to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS, improving the knowledge and education about the disease and fighting stigma.

Today there is still much to be done to realise these aims.

According to UNAIDS statistics, there are currently 33.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS: 2.5 million of those are children.

95% of those people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations.

Greater efforts are need to reduce discrimination and provide equal access to prevention, treatment and care.

The emphasis this year is on achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010.

Part of this has to involve action to remove discriminatory laws against people living with HIV/AIDS, women and marginalized groups.

Countries are also encouraged to reflect and realize their commitments made to protect human rights, in both the ‘Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS 2001’ and the ‘Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS 2006’.

Alongside this, the European Commission has recently published its renewed Strategy on “Combating HIV/AIDS in the European Union and neighboring countries 2009-2013”.

You can access to the full European Commission document here.

The Equity Channel calls on all governments to fulfill their commitments, to fight for equity in access to prevention and treatment, and promoting the protection of human rights of all groups.