World AIDS Day

 Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day. This year's international theme is "Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise."

Started in 1988, World AIDS Day represents many things to many people. For some, it's about increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS, or an opportunity to remember those lost to AIDS, while others see World AIDS Day as an opportunity to rekindle our commitment to fighting the epidemic. UNAIDS estimates well over 50 Million people have been afflicted worldwide by HIV/AIDS since the start of the epidemic 25 years ago.

Many subscribers to this list serve are personally touched by the epidemic, either through their work, volunteer activities, as patients, or through friends and family affected by the disease. World AIDS Day is a time for all of us to take stock of our accomplishments, and pride in our contribution to the considerable progress that has been made. While many goals remain to be reached, the progress to date has been nothing short of extraordinary.

Over the past 25 years, FDA has worked hard to "keep the promise." In collaboration with our colleagues in industry, academia, and the patient and advocacy communities, FDA has been a part of the great wheel of progress against this disease, and helped to keep the wheel in motion.

FDA's HIV/AIDS-related responsibilities are summarized at http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/fdarole.html

A list of the 2006 FDA HIV-related accomplishments can be found at http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/listserve/archive.html#2006

A timeline of all significant FDA HIV-related activities is available on the web at http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/miles.html

Please take a moment today, December 1, to commemorate World AIDS Day in whatever way is meaningful to you, and take pride in the immense and varied contribution we have all made to the fight against this global pandemic.

Richard Klein
Office of Special Health Issues
Food and Drug Administration

Kimberly Struble
Division of Antiviral Drug Products
Food and Drug Administration