by Anna Klissouras

01 December 2006

Since the HI virus was first recognized in 1981, it has infected 65 million and killed more than 25 million people worldwide. Today, 38.6 million people live with HIV/AIDS, a vast majority of whom are not aware of it. Every day, 13,000 people are infected and 8,000 die as a result of the disease.
As the virus appears in millions of variations and changes its shape consistently, a cure remains elusive. After 25 years of serious research, no vaccine is in sight.

Antiretroviral therapy has been considerably improved and often prevents early death. However, due to the high therapy costs HIV/AIDS remains a death sentence for many, particularly in sub-saharan Africa.

World Aids Day was first declared by the UN General Assembly in 1988 to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS. Organized by UNAIDS for 16 years, responsibilities were handed over to the independent organization World AIDS Campaign (WAC) in 2004 to fortify civic engagement and participation. Until 2010, "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise" is the theme of the global campaign.

The Day will be commemorated by UNV country offices around the world.

UNV Brazil, for instance, will promote civil society engagement for the combat against AIDS during a big concert in Salvador. Through a Health Fair, UNV volunteers together with a partner NGO will highten awareness through medical information, free HIV tests, distribution of condoms and educational videos.

Combining World Aids Day, International Volunteer Day (5 December) and the International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December), UNV Viet Nam commemorates the Days together with the National Coordination Committee of Disability (NCCD). Under the motto “For the Love of Life”, the event promotes the inclusion and acceptance of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS or a disability. Together with NGOs, youth groups, and affected people, UNV volunteers will set up information booths, present best practices and promote volunteerism through participation.

Beyond World AIDS Day, UNV is deeply engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS on a daily basis. In support of MDG 6 "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases" UNV collaborates closely with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), volunteer involving organizations, networks of people living with HIV/AIDS and national AIDS programmes in affected countries.

Since 2003, the UNV programme has been involved in UNDP’s flagship programme to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic - the Southern Africa Capacity Initiative (SACI). Its contribution includes the provision of UNV volunteers with expertise in medical, planning, policy and technical fields. UNV is also active in the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) initiative, which aims at overcoming stigma and demonstrating that people living with HIV/AIDS can continue to work and be productive members of society, provided adequate care and support is made available.

National volunteer schemes have proven to be particularly successful. Knowing the institutional landscape, customs and language of the country, national UNV volunteers are acting as an interface between the national governments and the community. Such a scheme was instituted in Zambia as part of the SACI initiative, which aims to combat the high prevalence rate in the region. Cooperating with Zambia’s National AIDS Council (NAC), UNV helps to fast-track Zambia’s response to HIV/AIDS, which had been slowed due to a lack of specialized staff. More than 90 UNV volunteers provide technical assistance to institutions with a central role in coordinating the implementation of the National AIDS Strategy.

One of Zambia’s UNV supported projects, the Mboole Rural Development Initiative (MRDI), won this year’s Red Ribbon Award for outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS. MRDI, a youth-led network of communities received the award under the “support to orphans and vulnerable children” category after competing against 600 organizations worldwide. The prize money will be presented today, on World AIDS Day.