Do your bit: Focus on days highlighting international issues International Days and Observances
World AIDS Day
1 December
On September 11, 2001, more people died from AIDS than from terrorist attacks, including the barbarities that were committed on that day.

On a more normal day, many times more people around the world die from illnesses like AIDS, which can be prevented, cured or effectively managed. These facts do not reduce the nastiness of terrorism or the urgency of confronting and defeating it, but they do also point to the importance of keeping in mind the vastly larger number of human lives that are threatened by preventable but unprevented ailments [Amarthya Sen in "Principal Voices"].

World AIDS Day is commemorated around the globe on 1 December. It celebrates progress made in the battle against the epidemic and brings into focus remaining challenges.

World AIDS Day 2008 theme is 'Lead – Empower – Deliver' Designating leadership ... provides an opportunity to highlight both the political leadership needed to fulfill commitments that have been made in the response to AIDS – particularly the promise of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 – and celebrating the leadership that has been witnessed at all levels of society [UN AIDS].

"All of us must recognize AIDS as our problem. All of us must make it our priority." - Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.


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