World Aids Day - December 01

World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of theAIDS Pandemic  caused by the spread of HIV infection.

• AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007 and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history.

• World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the 'World Health Organisation(WHO)

• The Joint UN Programmes on AIDS/HIV (UNAIDS) became operational in 1996, and it took over the planning and promotion of World AIDS Day.Rather than focus on a single day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education.

• In 2004, the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization.

• Each year's World AIDS Day theme is chosen by the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee after extensive consultation with people, organizations and government agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS

World AIDS Day Themes

 

Year	World  AIDS  Day Themes
1988	Communication
1989	Youth
1990	Women and AIDS
1991	Sharing the Challenge
1992	Community Commitment
1993	Act
1994	AIDS and the Family
1995	Shared Rights,Shared Responsibilities
1996	One World.One Hope
1997	Children Living in a World with AIDS
1998	Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
1999	Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
2000	AIDS: Men Make a Difference
2001	I care. Do you?
2002	Stigma and Discrimination
2003	Stigma and Discrimination
2004	Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
2006	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Accountability
2007	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Leadership
2008	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Lead – Empower – Deliver
2009	Universal Access and Human Rights
2010	Universal Access and Human Rights
2011	Getting to Zero
2012	Getting to Zero
2013	Getting to Zero
2014	Getting to Zero
2015	Getting to Zero
2016

Apple will expand its line of (RED) products and donate $1 for each transaction made using mobile payment Apple Pay

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is expanding its support for the fight against AIDS through the (RED) charity founded by rock singer Bono, Chief Executive Tim Cook said in an interview ahead of World Aids Day.

Over the next week, the company will expand its line of (RED) products and donate $1 for each transaction made using mobile payment Apple Pay in its physical and online stores, up to a total of $1 million. Bank of America (BAC.N) will contribute up to that sum for Apple Pay transactions using its cards.

"There's still way too many people dying of AIDS, still too many kids being born with HIV, and so we are continuing to press really hard," Cook said

UNAIDS predicts the number of babies born with HIV could drop to near zero by 2020 from around 400 per day now, Apple said.

The (RED) campaign is an example of "cause-related marketing," a style of philanthropy that some critics say is self-serving because they promote corporate brands as much as the underlying cause.

(RED) was one of Apple's highest profile philanthropic efforts under former Chief Executive Steve Jobs, who largely avoided corporate giving. The company has been responsible for about $120 million of the $360 million (RED) has raised since it was founded in 2006.

Durex Launches Condom Emoji For Safe Sex Awareness

Durex on Monday  Nov 28,2016 launched "Umbrella with Raindrops" as the unofficial safe sex emoji ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1.

The unveiling of an unofficial safe sex emoji is the latest move in Durex's ongoing #CondomEmoji campaign which calls for putting a safe sex emoji on every smartphone in order to help young people communicate about safe sex, the company said in a statement.

"We believe the naming of "Umbrella with Raindrops" as the unofficial safe sex emoji will be a significant step towards helping young people put safe sex back on the agenda," said Volker Sydow, Global Director, Durex.

The #CondomEmoji campaign has trended both on Twitter and Facebook with supporters from over 160 countries backing the movement during a survey.


10 Facts About AIDS/HIV

1. Globally about 36.9 million people are living with HIV including 2.6 million children.
2. An estimated 2 million were infected in 2014.
3. An estimated 34 million people have died from HIV or AIDS, including 1.2 million in 2014.
4. The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years.
5. AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescentsin Africa and the second among adolescents globally.
6. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls account for 7 in 10 new infections among those aged 15-19.
7. At start of 2015, 15 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy compared to 1 million in 2001.
8. Despite widespread availability of HIV testing, only an estimated 51 per cent of people with HIV know their status.
9. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million deaths since 2000.
10. In 2015, Cuba was the first country declared to have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV