UNAIDS launches campaign aimed at ending new HIV infections among children by 2015

May 10 2012

UNAIDS on Tuesday launched a new campaign "aimed at ending new HIV infections among children by 2015 and ensuring mothers living with HIV remain healthy," Xinhua reports (5/8). "The campaign, 'Believe it. Do it.,' is part of a global plan of action that was adopted last year at the U.N. High Level Meeting on AIDS, when world leaders committed to end new HIV infections among children by 2015," the U.N. News Centre writes (5/8). "Each year, about 390,000 children become newly infected with HIV and as many as 42,000 women living with HIV die from complications relating to HIV and pregnancy," according to a UNAIDS press release (5/8).

"Through public service announcements, the campaign has three main objectives in relation to the public's engagement on the issue: to raise awareness about the facts about ending new HIV infections among children, to send a message about the issue and the actions people can take, and to develop public support for mothers through organizations working with families," the U.N. News Centre notes (5/8). "We have the commitment of world leaders but the clock is ticking and we cannot get from 390,000 to zero without you," UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe said, according to the press release (5/8).