WORLD AIDS DAY 2009

World AIDS Day - December 1, 2009

Participate in a  World AIDS Day Event co-sponsored by NASW:
Visit http://worldbankva.na4.acrobat.com/aids/

The focus of World AIDS Day 2009 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'.   World AIDS Day is about increasing awareness, fighting stigma and discrimination, and improving education.   For social workers worldwide - World AIDS Day provides the opportunity to remind others that HIV/AIDS remains a global health issue. 

World AIDS Day also provides an opportunity to take action and ensure that human rights are protected for HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment.   Promoting individual human rights challenges the barriers created by stigma and discrimination, and works to ensure the right to access to comprehensive health and behavioral health services.   For information on World AIDS Day and HIV/AIDS in the United States: http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html

Globally, the social work professional must continue our efforts for inclusion of HIV/AIDS issues into development efforts, emphasizing awareness, prevention, and care and treatment as priority areas to be actively included in organizational systems and policies.  For information on World AIDS Day from a global perspective:  http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/  or http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htm

Take Action!

Get tested for HIV; practice safer methods to prevent HIV and  decide not to engage in high risk behaviors

• for more information, go to: http://hivtest.org/

Talk about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues and  provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS:  

• for more information, go to: http://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/lgb/hiv_discrimination.asp

Get informed!

For additional social work practice resources:  http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/hiv_aids/siteInfo/resources.asp

For the International Federation of Social Workers Statement on HIV/AIDS: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38001031.html