By Crystal Swann
December 7, 2009

December 1 marked World AIDS Day, and two decades later, the epidemic continues to grow in the US particularly among specific groups including gay and bisexual men, African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.1 million people are living with HIV in America, and 20 percent of them do not know it. With these high rates, mayors across the country are taking initiatives to raise the awareness in their communities that the fight against HIV and AIDS isn't over.

In one example, ten US cities participated in the (RED) initiative by adorning public monument and buildings in red. The (RED) initiative is a brand designed to engage business and consumer power to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The initiative will help fund the work of the Global Fund, the world's leading financier of programs to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

• Salt Lake City illuminated the city and county building. Mayor Ralph Becker read the World AIDS Day proclamation right before he switches on the red lights.

• Columbus (OH) city hall and the Columbus Public Health Building both turned (RED) on 11/30 for one full week. Mayor Michael Coleman held a press conference on 11/30 at city hall to speak about this initiative and the building was turned (RED) at the same time. Also, there was a candlelight vigil at 6pm on December 1 at the Columbus Conservatory.

• St. Louis Civil Courts Building was turned (RED) at dusk on World AIDS Day.

• San Francisco Coit Tower and city hall were turned (RED) at dusk on World AIDS Day.

• Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl launched a World AIDS Celebration slated to last all week starting on World AIDS Day. He held a press conference inside the city county building, which was decorated with (RED) banners. The city county building was lit (RED) and the needle on top of the Highmark Building was turned (RED) on 11/30 for the entire week.

• Chicago CNA building displayed AIDS ribbon and FIGHT AIDS in lights.

• Boston Zakim Bridge went (RED) at sunset.

• Baltimore lit the Baltimore Washington Monument (RED) with a candlelight vigil. Baltimore's theme will be "Stopping AIDS is everyone's business."

• Providence city hall and the Skating Center were turned (RED). Mayor David N. Cicilline and AIDS Care Ocean State held a candlelight vigil in front of the skating center.

• Los Angeles pylons around LAX went (RED) along with the top of the Los Angeles Central Library.

• New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had the lights to the Brooklyn Bridge turned off to commemorate World AIDS Day.

Worldwide, nearly 33 million people are living with HIV, including 2.1 million children. Everyday, 7,500 more people are infected with HIV worldwide. This year the international World AIDS Day theme, "Universal Access and Human Rights," serves an important reminder that while treatments for HIV/AIDS are available not everyone is receiving them. Global leaders have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention and care, recognizing that these are fundamental human rights.

On World AIDS Day, the United States has unveiled its five'year plan to fight AIDS worldwide. The new plan will "refocus the nation's overseas AIDS'fighting efforts. The new direction will shift the programs' emphasis toward achieving long'term, sustainable improvements in prevention, treatment, and care." For more information about the plan visit the website www.pepfar.gov/documents/organization/133035.pdf.

World AIDS Day continues to be a time to educate, honor, remember, and to inspire people. The mayors' activities across the country did just that and their hard work and leadership are admirable.