Manitoba Health

2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.

Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week runs from November 24th to World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2008. This year’s theme, as in 2007, is Leadership, highlighting the need for increased commitment and perseverance in responding to the challenges of HIV. The campaign slogan for the National AIDS Day 2008 is “You Can Make a Difference” and the local theme for 2008 is “Living Well with HIV/AIDS”.

The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 after the world’s health ministers met and agreed on the concept of the day as an opportunity for everyone to demonstrate the importance of AIDS and show solidarity for the cause. World AIDS Day is now internationally recognized as a day when individuals and organizations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global HIV and AIDS epidemic.

In recognition of Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week and World AIDS Day, Manitoba Health and Healthy Living asks all Manitobans to pause and remember those who are living with and/or affected by HIV/AIDS.   This week serves as a reminder that, although 100 per cent preventable, HIV/AIDS continues to spread in our communities. By promoting Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week and World AIDS Day, we support efforts to inform Manitobans on how to protect themselves and others from this deadly virus.

For those living with this virus, stigma and discrimination continue to be major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Fear of discrimination prevents people from seeking HIV testing and treatment, or from openly acknowledging their HIV status. By confronting stigma and discrimination, we can encourage others to join the fight against human rights violations, promote safer sex and injecting practices, and eventually win the battle against the spread of HIV/AIDS.