Thomas Foley: “since 1988 December 1 has been known as World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day emerged from the call by the World Summit of the…”

“since 1988 December 1 has been known as World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day emerged from the call by the World Summit of the Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS prevention in January of 1988 to open channels of communication, strengthen the exchange of information and experience, and forge a spirit of social tolerance. Since then World AIDS Day has received the support of the World Health Assembly, the United Nations system and governments, communities and individuals around the world. Each year, it is the only international day of coordinated action against AIDS. Today in the Washington Post I have read Kofi Annan, who is the Secretary General of the United Nations, entered this editorial comment: "Every day more than 8,000 people die of AIDS. Every hour almost 600 people become infected. Every minute a child dies of the virus. Just as life and death goes on after September 11, so must we continue our fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Before the terrorist attack two months ago, tremendous momentum had been achieved in that fight. To lose it now would be to compound one tragedy with another. "New figures released in advance of World AIDS Day, December 1, show that more than 40 million people are now living with the virus. The vast majority of them are in sub-Saharan Africa, where the devastation is so acute that it has become one of the major obstacles to development.…”