World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 3.1 million (between 2.8 and 3.6 million) lives in 2005 of which, more than half a million (570,000) were children.
The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world.
From 1988 to 2004, the World AIDS Day was organized by UNAIDS, who, after consultation with other organizations, chose a theme. In 2005 UNAIDS handed over responsibility for World AIDS Day to The World AIDS Campaign (WAC), an independent organisation. In 2005, they chose Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise as the theme for World AIDS days through to 2010. This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day but also to the work WAC does throughout the year. The student element of the campaign, the Student Stop AIDS Campaign (SSAC), is a key part of increasing awareness among young people across the UK.
ALL STAR TRIBUTE
Just days before the September 11th terrorist attack, the American "supergroup" lineup known as the "All Star Tribute" was recording a cover of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", in order to raise international AIDS awareness as well as money to combat the disease. It was scheduled to be released in December. After 9/11, however, the song was rush-released to radio and to MTV;its video having been hastily thrown together "home-movie" clips from the very recent studio recording of the song. The song went on to become associated with the terrorist attacks and the subsequent war in Afghanistan more so than with AIDS. However, in December, the song was re-released as planned, with several new versions/remixes of both the song and the video, in order to benefit AIDS charities as originally planned. Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Jennifer Lopez, and Gaye's own daughter, Nona, among others, sang the original lyrics to Gaye's song. With Jermaine Dupri serving as producer, the cover featured an all-star lineup of dozens of popular contemporary artists from all genres, and its video and donations were not only dedicated to the problem of AIDS, but it was also eventually expanded to dedicate to the then-recent September 11, 2001 tragedy.
Respect.
Act.
Live.
