World AIDS Day 2007

This year, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week runs from Nov. 26 through to World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2007.  The theme for World AIDS Day 2007 is leadership, building on the 2006 World AIDS Day focus on accountability. This is reflected in the slogan “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise,” the World AIDS Campaign emphasis from 2005 to 2010.

The World AIDS Campaign (WAC) is an international campaign that encourages leaders and policy makers to take action on their promises and commitments.  This campaign also encourages individuals to make a difference through personal pledges, statements of commitment and by taking action to reverse the epidemic.  These commitments serve to increase awareness and strengthen the local and global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

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.