World AIDS day events
IRAN
World Aids Day Official Ceremony - Allameh Amini Hall, Tehran University
The Global Campaign on Children and AIDS was launched today by Ms. Rima Salah, UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director.
The main event was organised by the Ministry of Health. Key government and non governmental organisations, PLWA, journalists, civil society etc attended. The UN Secretary General’s message was read out and different sectors reported back to the audience on major achievements in response to AIDS in 2005, and their plans for 2006.
A Press Conference on World AIDS Campaign 2005 and the Global Campaign on Children and AIDS was held after the official ceremony.
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ms. Rima Salah said "children are the missing face of AIDS - missing not only from global and national policy discussions on HIV/AIDS, but also lacking access to even the most basic care and prevention services. Children must be at the forefront of the fight against AIDS"
Speaking at the launch of the Children and Aids campaign launch today in Iran, Minister of Health lauded the measures taken so far in the country to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and said that "since the Islamic Republic of Iran was committed to maintain national health indicators and implement the MDGs in 2001, we hope that by 2015 Iran will move closer to realising the 6 MDGs and bring the epidemic under full control.
See below for other activities and events planned in the framework of WAD and the Children and Aids Campaign launch in Iran.
HIV/AIDS Alert Bell
Guidance and high schools will have awareness lectures and various activities to bring fun to AIDS education. This year there won’t be an “AIDS alert bell” as expected and planned before, but several initiatives are in place.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 1st , all day long, nationwide activities in schools
WAD postal stamp
For the first time ever in Iran, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran is issuing a postal stamp in recognition of the World AIDS Day and Keeps the Promise.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 1st, Tehran, Iran
Football Match: “Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS”
The Launch of the Global Campaign on Children and AIDS, UNICEF is organising a football match between Ararat club and Iranian Artists’ football team. There will be a laser show, participation of celebrities, speeches etc in the stadium. Admission is free of charge. IRIB promises to have live coverage and there will be a lot of press attending.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 1st, Ararat Stadium, Tehran, 15:30 – 18:00
1st National AIDS Film Festival
The Center for Support to the Art of Cinema, with the backing of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Tehran University, Tehran Municipality, Ghanoon Cultural Center and UNAIDS has organized First AIDS Film Festival in Tehran.
Twenty nine short or long films will be screened in two location in Tehran during this 4 day event and forum would be open for discussion every day with participation of HIV/AIDS experts.
PSAs from the Global Lauinch of the Children and AIDS Campaign will also be broadcast (Sir Roger Moore, Danny Glover, Euan Macgregaor and Ralph Fiennes)
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 2nd to Decemebr 5th,2005, Ghanoon Cultural Center from10:00 to 14:30 and Andisheh Hall (Tehran University) from 17:00 to 21:00
Information tents for peer education
UNICEF has signed an agreement with Iranian Red Crescent Society in order to mobilize volunteers and youth association to celebrate WAD and provide information and education to their peers, using IRCS information tents. Further information can be received from IRCS or UNICEF.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 1st to December 8th, nationwide
Reducing Stigma and Discrimination (visit to People Living with HIV and AIDS and Gathering of People living with HIV)
Persepolis Association (Rangin Kaman – Rainbow- branch) have organized a gathering in support to people living with AIDS. In this event there would be Live Music, and a drawing competition on public opinion on people living with AIDS.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 8st, Vali Asr Cross Road (in front of City Theater Hall), 12:30
People living with AIDS will speak out in this week and it’s planned that senior government and NGO officials pay visits to them and to the centers serving them.
RUMI live in Concert
UNODC Iran is conducting this concert as part of joint initiatives of the UN HIV/AIDS Thematic Group together with UNAIDS, UNICEF, and Family Planning Association.
The concert is free of charge; however it’s strongly encouraged to make contributions for People Living with HIV/AIDS in the context of this concert.
Date, time and place: Saturday,10 December 2005 (19 Azar 1384), from 16:00- 19:00, Vahdat Hall, Tehran
Kite Festival
The Amitab Association, Iranian Positive Life Society with the support from Public Sports Federation, Healthy City HQ, Tehran Municipality, and Salamat Cultural Center, will conduct this event for young people.
Date, time and place: Friday, December 9th, Taleghani Park, 9:00 to 13:00
Other major activities
The Football Federation of Iran has agreed to make partnership with UNAIDS in combat against AIDS. In all football matches on Friday 8 December (supreme league) the support to Stop AIDS will be announced before each match starts.
Many Newspapers and journals will publish special issues on AIDS this week. In November UNODC held a workshop on Capacity Development for Media Professionals working on AIDS to help them enhance their support on keep and make the promise. UNICEF did a presentation on the Global Campaign.
In addition to this there were several thousands of posters and leaflets distributed, and several billboards will show HIV/AIDS messages. State Radio Television (IRIB) will broadcast spots, interviews and special programmes on AIDS in the course of the week.
A number of NGOs; including Perspolis, Talashgaran Salamat, Hastian, Women’s Cultural Society, and Rosta Students Forum, Working Children Support Cultural Society, etc, have organized an event with participation of people living with AIDS, and have live music, painting and drawing by children, awareness raising and information dissemination for public.
Date, time and place: Thursday, December 1st, Vali Asr Cross Road (in front of City Theater Hall), starting 12:30
In every province, Medical Universities will conduct a ceremony and have arranged for activities in remembrance of WAD and to take the initiative to the field.
300,000 SMS messages will go to mobile subscribers with WAC slogan and Unite for Children, Unite for AIDS on November 30 and December 1st.
YEMEN
With December 1st being a holiday in Yemen, the country decided to mark the World Aids Day on December 4.
Fighting HIV/AIDS with information: a media roundtable
December 03
As part of the efforts to build media capacity to report effectively on the subject of HIV/AIDS, a one-day session will be held with media ahead of the National celebration of the World Aids Day.
This event will help stimulate quality coverage by print and electronic media.
Distribution of IEC material for information, awareness creation and training
Ahead of the World AIDS Day, IEC material is being distributed countrywide through government and NGO counterparts.
This includes a UNICEF briefing package, promotional material on HIV/AIDS prevention and guidelines to combat stigma and discrimination.
Other IEC material being distributed includes
- 100,000 leaflets with basic messages on prevention, transmission, stigma and discrimination
- 10,000 pocket folders for promotional activities
- 5,000 Manuals for training to accelerate response against HIV/AIDS
- 500 flipcharts for master trainers
Seeking to enhance multi-sectoral approaches to HIV prevention, this package will be distributed by the National AIDS Programme in 22 Yemeni governorates.
Workshop on Media and HIV/AIDS
With UNICEF as the main facilitator, this workshop will involve 30--35 journalists from press, radio and TV.
The objective of this training session is to increase participants knowledge on the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS; share facts and figures on the status of HIV/AIDS at the global, regional and country levels and familiarize media with the national efforts, policy and strategy.
The closing session will bring out a media declaration calling for increased availability of information to fight HIV/AIDS.
Worlds Aids Day National Event
December 4th
A major national event will be held with an overview statement by the Minister for Health and Population and articulation of Yemeni government's determination to give priority attention to the national response against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
General Director of the National AIDS Programme Dr. Fauzia Ghurama will highlight the National Strategic Framework for the control and prevention of HIV/AIDS. UN Resident Coordinator will present the statement on behalf of the UN organizations in Yemen.
A song and play by children will communicate in a creative manner the risks and vulnerability factor, stigma and discrimination that surrounds the subject and make yet another dent to break the silence. The event will bring together key senior officials of the government, NGOs, development partners, bilateral donors, eminent person and media.
Special Sana’a TV curtain raiser on HIV/AIDS
December 04.
In collaboration with the National AIDS Programme, a 25 minute curtain raiser is being put together by TV anchorperson Abdul Rahman Al-Abed. Footage from the UNICEF B-roll will be included to give it the regional and global angles.
LEBANON
On the occasion of the World AIDS day UNICEF Lebanon Country Office is undertaking many activities focusing mainly on the highest population at risk in Lebanon i.e. the youth.
The events will be launched on the 1st of December with the following planned activities:
TV spots on all national TV stations
After serious research with many specialists in 2004, Grey Worldwide offered its creative talents and manpower to produce two TV spots for UNICEF. Soundtrack for the spots is interpreted by Natalie Merchant and produced by Warner Music Group.
The spots will be broadcast on seven TV stations for a minimum period of one month.
Awareness in Lebanese Nightclubs on HIV/AIDS
Beginning Thursday 1st December and for a period of one week, eight nightclubs in Beirut which are regularly visited by youth at risk will broadcast the spots produced by UNICEF
In addition to the spots the following will be organized:
- Distribution of small pamphlet specifically produced for this occasion.
- Red Ribbon to be distributed to all nightclub clients.
- Sample questionnaire to be filled by youth (which will enable UNICEF to identify practices and vulnerable groups)
- DJ will repeat awareness messages the whole night through.
Concerts in Beirut
Two concerts organized by active NGO's Lemsec Cora / American University of Beirut (AUB) and SIDC (Michel El Murr Stadium), are scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd. UNICEF spots will be shown during the concerts together with the distribution of IEC material.
Red Ribbon Ceremony
On December 4th, a major ceremony involving UNICEF, SIDC, NGOs and around 50 youth movements will take place at the Beirut Hall .
Participants will join an effort to build the world’s biggest human ribbon
Speeches by UNICEF and SIDC are planned, together with music shows and distribution of material.
Extensive media coverage Press release and national press briefs are planned for December 1st.
IRAQ
UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA issued today a joint statement, saying the low prevalence HIV/AIDS figure in Iraq could increase dramatically if unified actions are not taken and preventive measures put in place to keep the killer disease in check.
A statement circulated to the press on behalf of UNICEF Iraq Representative, Roger Wright says that “confronting the challenge of HIV/AIDS while attempting to halt or slow down its impact, particularly on children, is just one critical component of a planned multi-faceted sustainable development programme that cannot be implemented properly until there is a real period of relative stability in Iraq”.
SUDAN
Figures shared by our Sudan country office point at an estimated 300,000 young people in Sudan under 25 years are already living with the virus.
A national campaign involving the Sudanese National AIDS Control Programme (SNAP), UNICEF, UNAIDS and other national partners addresses the need for
Prevention of HIV among adolescents and young people aged 15-24; prevention of mother-to-child transmission; paediatric treatment; protection and support of children affected by AIDS and policy support to ensure that the legal framework and national policies take protective measures for orphans and vulnerable children before the end of 2010.
The Minister of Information and Communication, Mr. Al Zahawi Ibrahim Malik noted that HIV/AIDS has the potential to block all the dividends resulting from the peace agreement between the north and south.
