December 1 is World AIDS Day

Today, December 1, we join the rest of the international community to observe WORLD AIDS DAY. This observance was started 21 years ago in December 1988 by the World Health Organaization to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS all over the world. This year’s theme is “human rights and access to treatment.” The official color for AIDS is RED.

We list here some events organized in observance of this special day.

Alicia Keys holds YouTube concert for World AIDS Day
Watch for Alicia Keys today when she perform a YoutTube concer to commemorate this day. concert will be broadcast live on her official YouTube page. The proceeds of the concert will be donated to Keep A Child Alive. Check out www.youtube.com/aliciakeyssme.

Cities go (RED) on World AIDS Day
The city of Columbus, Ohio will join many other cities and go “RED” today by illuminating its City Hall as well as the Columbus Public Health building in red lights to show support for World Aids Day. Other cities in the US going RED include:

• Baltimore, MD: The Washington Monument in Baltimore
• Boston, MA: The Zakim Bridge
• Chicago, IL: CNA Building. The AIDS ribbon and the words “FIGHT AIDS” in lights on the side of the building
• Dublin, Ireland: City Hall
• London, England: the London Eye and the Trafalgar Square Fountain
• Los Angeles, CA: the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles and the pylons around LAX airport
• Pittsburgh, PA: the City & County Building and the needle on top of the Highmark Building
• Providence, RI: City Hall, 1 Financial Plaza, 111 Westminster Street and the Skating Center at Kennedy Plaza
• Salt Lake City, UT: The City & County Building
• San Francisco, CA: City Hall & Coit Tower
• St. Louis, MO: Civil Courts Building
• Torrance, CA: Girl Skate Park

Award Winning Musical Icons Lend Their Voices to World AIDS Day
In the African continent, musical celebrities will perform at the 5th Annual World Aids Day Gala Concert at the Artscape Theatre. These include Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, The Rolling Stones, Luther Vandross, Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and Jimmie Earl Perry

IFRC report on HIV released
In keeping with this year’s theme, today, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released the report “Inequalities fuelling HIV pandemic” especially focused in the regions Latin America and the Caribbean. According to the report

“The HIV pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean is fuelled by a range of social and economic inequalities exacerbated by high levels of stigma, discrimination of highly vulnerable groups, and persistent gender inequality and homophobia, says a new report issued in Lima, Peru by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).”

How can you help increase HIV/AIDS awareness?

DoctorNDTV gives some recommendations:

Find out facts about HIV and talk to your friends, family and colleagues about HIV- make sure they know the reality, not the myths.

Know your HIV status: get tested if you have put yourself at risk.

Talk to all new sexual partners about using condoms. Using a condom during sex is the best way to protect yourself and your partner from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

If someone tells you they are HIV positive, treat them with respect and don’t tell others without their agreement.

Wear a red ribbon as a symbol of your support for everyone affected by HIV< and to raise awareness.

Photo credit: stock.xchng