World AIDS Day 2009 · Global Voices

Red Ribboms, by SibleyHunter on Flickr
December 1 is World AIDS Day. Now in its 21st year, the theme of this year's World AIDS Day is ‘Universal Access and Human Rights,’ which highlights the need for universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.
Though the latest research shows that new HIV infections have been reduced by 17 percent over the past eight years, there are still more than 33 million people living with HIV around the world. Last year 2 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses.
Mapping Positively
Bloggers play a vital role in bringing HIV/AIDS issues to the forefront by increasing awareness of the disease and sharing their personal stories. We have updated our map of HIV/AIDS positive bloggers around the world again this year to help show how many men and women – HIV-poz bloggers, and people and groups who blog about HIV/AIDS – are helping to break the stigma that often surrounds this disease by raising their voices.
The map is embeddable, so you can add it to your Web site or blog. It is also a work in progress and updated regularly. Please email Global Voices Public Health Editor, Juhie Bhatia, if you have suggestions for links to add.
Guide to Blogging Positively
To encourage more bloggers to write about HIV/AIDS, this year Rising Voices also released “Blogging Positively,” a collection of case studies, interviews and best practices about citizen media related to HIV/AIDS. The guide highlights leaders in the HIV-positive community, contains tips for workshop facilitators and teachers and provides resources to help new bloggers get started.
Join the Conversation
UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who participated in the chat. You can see notes from the chat in the Worknets wiki.
As part of raising awareness this week, Rising Voices and Global Voices will also be holding a live online chat for bloggers and activists on Thursday December 3, 2009 (7 pm Nairobi time) on the next steps following the launch of the Blogging Positively Guide. Everyone is welcome.
Selected Global Voices posts from the past year:
07 Dec – Africa: Marking World Aids Day Poetically
06 Dec – HIV spread in Indonesia
04 Dec – Portuguese-speaking bloggers on World Aids Day ‘09
02 Dec – World AIDS Day: Fighting Discrimination Around the World
01 Dec – World AIDS Day: Reflections and Raising Awareness
27 Nov – Cuba: Ongoing HIV/AIDS Education Efforts
11 Nov – South Africa: Sesame Street's HIV-Positive Muppet Raises Awareness
17 Oct – Tunisia: Watching Arab Media on HIV/AIDS
1 Oct – Global Health: HIV Vaccine Breakthrough?
13 Sept – Japan: Worries about spread of HIV and AIDS
10 Sept – Myanmar: New policy requires HIV groups to register
3 Sept – Philippines: Living with HIV
31 Aug – Online Campaigns To Combat Spread Of HIV/AIDS
19 Aug – Bloggers Reflect On HIV/AIDS Awareness In Arab World
18 Aug – Cambodia’s AIDS colony
13 Aug – Blogging with HIV: “Love is still possible”