| ACTIVITIES FOR DECEMBER |
Theme: HIV/AIDS |
Over 2.1 million children are HIV–positive, with more than 400,000 children becoming newly infected with HIV / AIDS each year. This disease affects non–infected children as well—many are left orphaned or grow up in communities overwhelmed by the disease. These children are at increased risk of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, disease and early death without proper care and support. Learn more about how HIV/AIDS affects children and be at the forefront of the global movement to halt this devastating epidemic.
Read
Voices of Youth: HIV and AIDS
Making Strides against HIV/AIDS
Watch
UNICEF-supported clinics maintain crucial HIV services in Haiti
Take Action
On June 9, 2011, World leaders gathered in New York for the 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS where they launched a Global Plan that will make significant strides towards eliminating new HIV infections among children by 2015 and keeping their mothers alive. Take part in this global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015.
- December 1st is World AIDS Day, build awareness by wearing a red ribbon. The red ribbon is an international symbol of support for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
- Prevent prejudice, discrimination and stigma. Promote compassion and understanding within your school and community. Speak out against stigma, discrimination, gender inequality and the other drivers of the epidemic, and demand that governments take action.
- Offer an "UNICEF Inspired Gift" to your family and friends for the Holidays: Every day, 1,000 children become infected with HIV. Tragically many of these infections occur when a mother—the person who wants to protect her child the most—transmits the virus to her baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. You can help stop the advance of the virus by giving a gift of an actual lifesaving basic screening test kit for 65 mothers. UNICEF will send it to the field where kids need it the most.
