| 2009 WORLD AIDS DAY | ||||
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Zambia will join the rest of the world in commemorating World AIDS Day (WAD) which falls on 1st December every year. The theme for WAD 2009 is “Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support is a Human Rights. This theme aims at addressing the critical need to protect human rights and remove discriminatory barriers to attain access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. This year’s campaign continues to accelerate the global response to HIV and AIDS by helping people keep their promises using the slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise”. World AIDS Day is not merely a one-day event, but rather serves as a “kick-off” for the forthcoming year to enable individuals, communities, organizations and businesses to become involved in the issues surrounding HIV & AIDS and for the promotion of new or existing HIV & AIDS awareness, prevention, testing and care programs. It is also a time to reflect, memorialize and show compassion for those infected or affected by HIV& AIDS. The whole idea of WAD is to do tangible things, which will have immediate positive impact on the infected and affected members of our society. A number of activities are undertaken to observe World AIDS Day. The week leading up to World AIDS Day usually includes daily activities that stimulate effective and efficient local community action in the prevention and mitigation of the HIV and AIDS pandemic. These activities entail mobile counseling and testing services, public awareness meetings, peer education, AIDS education and life skills, media programs, etc. It is hoped that these actions will add meaning and value to the commemoration of the World AIDS Day and confirm our collective and individual resolve to provide care, compassion and support to our children, brothers, sisters, parents and friends. A Candlelight Memorial Service which is a multi-denominational church service is held on eve of World AIDS Day. The service remembers those who have died due to HIV and AIDS as well as those who are affected by it. This event sometimes starts off with a march from a selected starting point to the designated church or hall that will be used for the Candlelight Service. The actual World AIDS Day is a day of reflecting on the relevance of implemented actions and how they influence the spread of HIV and mitigate the impact of AIDS among the infected, those directly affected and all community members. World AIDS Day activities are organized at the national level in Lusaka such as a road march, Candlelight Prayers and similar others. Organization of WAD activities at provincial, district and community levels is the responsibility of provincial and district authorities through the PATFs and DATFs. Individuals, organizations and communities are encouraged to get involved in the preparations through their local DATFs. A toolkit has also been developed to provide information that will enhance social mobilization and effective implementation of WAD activities. |
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