Stadium under the theme: 'Stop AIDS. Keep the promise! It starts with me!
8 November 2007
The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal will lead government and civil society in
commemorating the 2007 World AIDS Day on 1 December at Osizweni Stadium.
The World AIDS Day connects and strengthens all HIV and AIDS campaigns from
the beginning of the year to the end, throughout the province, in cities and
villages, in communities and in homes. Through a collaborative approach, the
campaign brings together diverse voices with the goal of holding leaders and
governments to account for their promises on AIDS. One of the most visible
aspects of the campaign against HIV and AIDS is the World AIDS Day - a day of
shared action and awareness held annually on 1 December.
This event will be a culmination of a month-long programme of build-up
events that started with the Employee Health and Wellness Focus Week on 5 to 9
November. This focus week was followed by a Summit hosted by the
Director-General (DG), KB Mbanjwa, in Tongaat (Grand Manor) to highlight and
acknowledge the response by local government, through municipalities, in the
fight against AIDS. At this summit, the DG will also host a business dinner to
acknowledge the role of business in the fight and mobilise their continued
effort in fighting the pandemic.
On the week of the World AIDS Day 500 Youth Ambassadors will be deployed in
the Amajuba District to visit homes and educate individuals and families about
disease prevention especially on HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STI),
tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS. The MEC for Health, Neliswa Nkonyeni, will then (on
the World AIDS Day event) launch the programme of Youth Ambassadors where
communities that had been visited would testify to the impact of this
programme.
The message of the event will be building on from last year's theme of
accountability, the 2007 and 2008 World AIDS Day theme is individual leadership
and responsibility. This year's theme, globally, is leadership. The theme
encourages that each one of us takes a lead in the fight against the spread of
HIV. A leader lies in each and every one of us. The leadership must come from
individuals, families, communities, private and business sectors and not
limited to government.
We would like to invite the media to these events and report on them. The
World AIDS Day will be held as follows:
Date: 1 December 2007
Time: 9h00
Venue: Osizweni Stadium, Newcastle
Transport to the venue will be available for journalists. Details to be
forwarded in due course.
For more information contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 447 2869
Jeff Hassan
Cell: 082 884 1872
Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
8 November 2007
