By Larry Tate and Crystal Swann
December 12, 2005

On December 1, people around the world marked the 18th World AIDS Day with vigils, concerts, educational seminars, and other events. This annual event was begun in 1988 to increase awareness of the global crisis represented by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. There was no single theme this year, but one often seen was “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.” This theme reflects an appeal to governments and policy makers to meet the targets they have agreed to, in prevention and treatment, in the worldwide fight against AIDS – especially in hard-hit areas like sub'saharan Africa.

Though the disease has largely fallen out of the media spotlight, it is still rampant around the world. According to the Toronto Star, “Some 4.9 million people worldwide have been newly infected this year. Half of those are younger than 25, and half are women. Worldwide, the virus is spreading faster than efforts to vanquish it.” More than 3 million people died from AIDS last year and one person is infected with HIV every 6.4 seconds.

In America, though deaths have decreased, African Americans women and men who have sex with men are among the subgroups that continue to face high rates of HIV infection. At the end of 2003, more than 1 million people were estimated to be living with HIV in the United States, of whom about a fourth were believed to be unaware of their HIV status. In addition, more than 40,000 Americans become newly infected with HIV each year and nearly half a million of those living with HIV receive no HIV-related medical care.

Conference Executive Director Tom Cochran issued a statement beginning, “On this World AIDS Day, the U.S. Conference of Mayors joins with President George W. Bush in recognizing those who are living with or who have died from HIV/AIDS globally. Additionally, we join with President Bush in urging Congress to reauthorize the comprehensive Ryan White CARE Act.” The CARE Act is the nation’s largest investment in the care of people with HIV/AIDS. It has dramatically improved the quality of life of people living with HIV-disease and their families, reduced use of costly inpatient care, and increased access to care for low-income, underserved populations, including people of color.

Many mayors took part in observances of the day:

• Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper spoke at a candlelight vigil marking the day.

• Mayor James Baker of Wilmington (DE) participated in a World AIDS Day Forum.

• Miami Mayor Manny Diaz hosted a World AIDS Day Conference in partnership with the World AIDS Day Coalition.

• Baton Rouge Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden hosted a Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast as one initiative of the Mayor’s Task Force on HIV.

Many mayors issued proclamations recognizing the occasion. Among them were Bloomington (IN) Mayor Mark Kruzan, Oneonta (NY) Mayor Kim Muller and Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

Conference Health Programs are in their 22nd year of providing AIDS-related funding to local communities, this year offering grants nationwide for HIV prevention projects targeting high-risk minority women and Native Americans. The deadline for applications for $740,000 in prevention funding is February 27, 2006. The Request for Proposals can be downloaded from the Confernece of Mayors website. For further information contact Larry Tate, Conference of Mayors HIV/AIDS Grants Program Manager, at ltate@usmayors.org or 202-861-6751 or visit usmayors.org/chhs.