Wolrd AIDS Day 2008

World AIDS Day 2008

The theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008 is “leadership”. This
theme will continue to be promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.” Leadership was selected as the theme for World AIDS Day to encourage leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through. The theme empowers everyone from individuals to organisations to governments to lead in the response to AIDS.

It's the 20th anniversary of World AIDS day. So much has been accomplished, yet so much still needs to be done.

Think about the world in 1988, think about our perception of AIDS - a gay man's disease...an absolute death sentence...you can get it from kissing or touching or hugging someone with AIDS...as long as you have heterosexual sex, you don't have to worry...women won't get it...nothing can be done about it. Thankfully, look how far we've come.

Then think about the famous faces of AIDS and HIV through the years. There are those who didn't make it: Elizabeth Glaser, Rock Hudson, Freddy Mercury, Ryan White, Arthur Ashe, Hector Lavoe. And there are those who are living with HIV/AIDS: Magic Johnson , Greg Louganis, Andy Bell.

And then think of those - in both categories - that we know personally.

And now think about the millions of people throughout the world, particularly in Africa, who due to lack of information are still contracting and dying of AIDS.

In short, just think about HIV/AIDS and about those who are living with it. And also, pray that a cure will soon be found and be made available to all, so that like so many other epidemics, this too will be relegated as a sad chapter in the history of humanity.