Students make a large human circle in a traffic circle to raise awareness on World AIDS Day

The Department of Community Medicine in Davangere, Karnataka State took the lead on World AIDS Day organising a public awareness rally in the city in which nearly 300 students and 50 staff members took part in.

Counteracting the perception in India that AIDS is confined to slums and sex workers, campaigners in Pune are targeting restaurants, nightclubs, and shoppers with HIV-related fortune cookies, a Christmas tree with AIDS pledges in the largest mall, a "Who wants to be a Millionaire" type game on HIV, and more involving tens of thousands of participants. Please see below for more information about the events.

Below you will find more information about events happening on World AIDS Day in Pune organised by DISHA (Deep Griha's Integrated Service for HIV/AIDS)

The following is from the SEA-AIDS e-forum hosted by the Health Development Network.
[Mods note: The report below is a part of the on-line conference coverage provided by The Key Correspondent Team coordinated by Health & Development Networks (HDN) during the ongoing 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Colombo, Sri Lanka (19-23 August 2007)]

On May 23, pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories filed a lawsuit in French criminal court against the AIDS advocacy group Act Up-Paris for launching a netstrike on the company's website. The netstrike was a response to a call from Thai HIV/AIDS groups to protest Abbott's recent actions regarding its antiretrovirals Aluvia and Kaletra in Thailand.

Geneva 23rd March 2007 Since November 2006. Thailand has issued compulsory licenses for three medicines, including the AIDS drugs efavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir. This procedure authorises the country to begin producing or importing generic versions of the drugs. The use of compulsory licenses to improve access to essential medicines is fully consistent with the World Trade Organization TRIPS Agreement, which sets out the international rules on patents. In using compulsory licences to promote access, Thailand is also heeding to the advice of the World Bank.

MSF urges Novartis shareholders to join the call on CEO Vasella to ‘Drop the Case’ against the Indian government

Please find below the statement of PReMA, Pharma's Association in Thailand, released on 14 february condemning the use of compulsory licensing by the Thai government and implicitly threatening to withhold medicines from Thai people if the government uses compulsory licensing.

The letter below, written to Dr. Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation, will go to WHO Headquarters, with a copy to all WHO national offices by the end of this week. It will be signed by many PLHA organisations around the world and treatment advocates.

Maitri, FKJGP announce elaborate plans for World AIDS Day
Shillong is all set to take centre stage on World AIDS Day this year.
The Count on Me! programme authored by city-based NGO Maitri and supported by the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), is poised to make global headlines with the launch of a 3:45 minute International AIDS Anthem written and composed by city musician David Ash, and sung to a catchy beat by school children ranging in ages from 6 to 14.