Gold Disc Swiss artist Shana P singing her latest single “Regarde moi.” Students at Webster afterwards released 250 red and white bio balloons, as a symbol of solidarity and support to those living with HIV/Aids. Members of the Student Government Association handed out free condoms and information about HIV testing services in Geneva and nearby France.

(Video)  Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – World Aids Day 1 December brought some good news, starting with a change of policy in South Africa, whose president said the country will now start treating all children with Aids. South Africa for several years denied the extent of its Aids problem and Tuesday’s announcement by President Jacob Zuma was greeted positively by Aids groups around the world.

Geneva is home to several organizations that work closely with Aids/HIV projects, from research to financing programmes, developing treatments and humanitarian assistance. World Aids Day Tuesday was observed in a variety of ways, from students at Webster University setting off balloons and attending a charity concert to the Global Fund for Aids, Malaria and Tuberculosis publishing its latest figures.

The Global Fund, created by the UN to fund but not operate its own programmes to fight HIV/Aids, now provides nearly one-quarter of all international financing for Aids. It notes that in in June 2009 some 4.3 million people were on retroviral drugs through programmes it has funded: it has disbursed $9.3 through more than 500 grants. Many of the programmes initially covered by the Global Fund are now being taken over by national health care systems, often after working with the Fund and other partners.

Links to other sites: Global Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), Webster Humanitarian Association, UNAids
Webster University video

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