World AIDS Day 2009

An Indonesian man touches a red ribbon, the symbol of AIDS awareness campaign, made of red candles during a rally to mark World AIDS Day in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. (Achmad Ibrahim / AP Photo )

“The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is Universal Access and Human Rights. For me, that means doing everything we can to support countries to reach their universal access goals for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support - all the while protecting and promoting human rights.”

- UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé
2009 World AIDS Day message

Since the bleak days of the AID/HIV pandemic, there’s been real progress against the disease. UNAIDS recently reported that new HIV infections fell 17 percent over the past eight years. The percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women who received treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their child increased from 33% in 2007 to 45% in 2008. And more than 4 million people in low- and middle-income countries had access to HIV treatment at the end of 2008, up from 3 million at the end of 2007. Still, there is so much work to be done. This World AIDS Day, show your solidarity with the 33.4 million people living with HIV!

• Check out Google’s World AIDS Day page of organizations working to fight HIV/AIDS.
• Download the World AIDS Day application for Facebook.
• Get a red ribbon on your Twitter profile.
• Watch Alicia Keys who will make a live streaming concert on YouTube at 8:00 p.m. EST.
• Find key events for World AIDS Day.
• Get the Women Deliver Fast Facts on HIV/AIDS and women.
• Watch a video on the need for effective microbicides.