The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is Leadership. It will continue to be promoted with the slogan Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise.

It will be important for journalists to look at why leadership is the theme for this year’s AIDS day which falls within 16 Days of activism against gender based violence.

It is a well-known fact that when there is a strong and committed leadership, significant progress in the response to HIV can be achieved. Leaders should be distinguished by their action, innovation and vision; their personal example and engagement of others; and their perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges.

According to the World AIDS Campaign, which has determined the theme for World AIDS Day since 1997, it is important to realise that leadership does not just mean government, or leadership at regional and international levels but in our communities as well - the church leaders, heads of AIDS Service organisations, the media, headmasters, fathers, mothers, teachers, among others.
Are they doing their best to stop AIDS?
Are they being accountable?

Key issues:

Between 2001 and now, political leaders in the region and continent have signed, endorsed, and committed to several conventions and declarations for universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support. They committed to developing and implementing a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care with the aim of coming as close to possible to the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 for all those who need it

At the Abuja meeting in 2001 they also committed themselves to consider AIDS as a state of emergency in the continent and take all the necessary measures to ensure that the needed resources are made available. The governments further pledged to devote 15 percent of their budgets to improving their health sectors. So far only Botswana has met that commitment.

• The media needs to look at why most countries have not met the 15 percent commitment and how far they have gone in keeping other promises made?
• It is important to also look at the targets different countries have set, how realistic they are and to what extent they have been met.
• Journalists should find out if people in their countries know and understand that their leaders committed to making prevention, treatment, care and support available so that they may demand accountability. If not, there is need to raise this awareness.
• It is important to talk to People living with HIV and make sure their voices are heard by the leaders, what are their concerns and what would they like their leadership to do to improve their welfare? One key issue when looking into this is to find out how many people are on treatment in your country, how accessible is this treatment and the care and support that go with it.
• Is everyone in a leadership position, including the media, aware of what universal access is and what are they doing to make sure it becomes a reality? There is need to be familiar with all the commitments made since 2001 in order to be able to question the lack of progress made.
• What have been some of the achievements in your country regarding stopping new HIV infections and universal access?
• What are the challenges? Highlighting these will force leaders to address them. One of the threats to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support is stigma and discrimination. How is the leadership in different countries addressing this issue?
• Civil society is important in any given country. It lobbies for policies to be made and also to be changed. It represents the people. Is the civil society in your country playing its part? This is the time to go around looking at what civil society has and is doing, questioning where you feel not enough has been done
• The media should also look into the issue of food security. It is crucial that when people are living with HIV, whether they are on treatment or not, they eat well. What is the food situation in your country like? Relevant authorities should speak out on this in this build up to World AIDS Day.

Sources:
worldaidscampaign.infor
worldaidsday.org
www.avert.org/worldaid
www.empowerindia.net