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This year's World AIDS Day theme is "Be a Force for Change." The purpose of this theme is to recognize the millions of young adults worldwide who are affected -- directly and indirectly -- by HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day this year aims to increase understanding of the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic globally and that the epidemic continues despite new hope in treatment. Worldwide implementation of the theme promotes action and sound policies to prevent HIV transmission and minimizes the epidemic's impact on teenagers and young adults. One hundred ninety one countries around the world are observing this day to draw attention to the AIDS epidemic. In the United States, activities for World AIDS Day around the country are coordinated by the American Association for World Health, in conjunction with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Pan American Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. World AIDS Day will link communities throughout the United States in a unified observance when the White House dims its lights from 7:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This visual demonstration will signify the commitment to fight the AIDS pandemic and will give tribute to people living with HIV/AIDS and to those who have died from AIDS. UNAIDS estimated that as of June 1998, 30.6 million men, women and children worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, and that if current trends continue, between 60 and 70 million adults will have been infected with HIV by the year 2000. Worldwide, one out of every 100 adults is living with HIV and at least 50 percent of all new infections are among people under the age of 25. In the United States, 641,086 people had been reported with by December 31, 1997. Of these, approximately 385,000 had already died. For additional information on World AIDS Day activities, visit these sites:
THe above text (except for the links) was excerpted from the World AIDS Day 1998 Resource Booklet. 
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©1998 Claire Amundsen Schaeffer, All Rights Reserved. |