Axum, 01 December 2010 -- The 22nd World AIDS Day was marked in the historical town of Axumof the Tigray State at a ceremony presided over by the president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia HE president Girma Woldegiorgis.

The Jubilee Park in the twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, the capital of the Western Region in Ghana was the scene of a very colourful 2010 World AIDS Day Celebration. The well organized function, honorably graced by His Excellency Mr John Dramani Mahama, the Vice President of Ghana, was attended by people from all walks of life ranging from school children, civil society organizations, persons living with HIV (PLHIV), chiefs and traditional rulers to Development partners.

Innovation and Consolidation of Achievements

Abuja, 7 December 2010 -- The WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Luis Sambo has urged governments and development partners to ensure that eliminating river blindness from Africa is a success given the laudable achievements of previous control programs.

He made this call at the 16th session of the Joint Action Forum (JAF), the governing board of the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) which began its deliberations in Abuja, Nigeria today.

More than 12 million people in Burkina Faso to receive new vaccine by end of year

“Reaching Every Child with Immunization”

Ouagadougou, 6 December 2010 -- The Second Annual Regional Conference on Immunization in Africa opened today in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, with a call for intensification of priority interventions and investments to speed up progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals related to maternal and child health.

On the occasion to mark the World AIDS Day (December 1, 2010), the Deputy President Mr Kgalema Motlanthe and Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in their address to the nation in Mpumalanga Province commended South Africans who have heeded the “Presidential Call for Action” to stop the transmission of new infections by taking the simple step of taking a blood test to check for the presence of HIV infection in their bodies.

Luanda, 3 December 2010 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, visited the northern Angolan province of Cabinda and held discussions with the director of health services, Dr. Carlos Zeca, to support and encourage the local authorities who are organizing a second round of polio vaccination from 4 to 6th December, targeting 600,000 children and adults.

World AIDS Day was nationally commemorated in Eritrea on December 1, 2010 under the theme, “Universal Access and Human Rights,” in the capital city.

In Asmara, the event was marked at the Bahti Meskerem Square in the presence of Zoba Maekel officials, UN heads of agencies, community representatives, students and other invited guests.

Brazzaville, 1 December 2010 -- “I urge countries to protect the basic human rights of people living with HIV and AIDS, including their rights to employment, access to financial ser-vices, and other basic conditions required for them to fulfill their social and economic needs.”

This plea was made by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, in his message to mark World AIDS Day, observed across the globe on 1 December since 1998. World AIDS Day 2010 is being observed under the theme Universal Access and Human Rights.