In an issue of the London Evening Standard published last week, Elton John provided an update on the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s new AIDSfree campaign to fund HIV prevention, testing, and treatment programs in six cities across the globe.
“The key to ending the HIV epidemic lies in cities like ours,” wrote Sir Elton. "In an increasingly angry world, cities are beacons of openness and tolerance, places of refuge for the threatened. Tolerance and honesty are our greatest weapons as we strive to create an Aids-free world. But it is also within our cities that HIV continues to spread. Globally, 940,000 died of Aids-related illnesses last year, and another 1.8 million were infected.
“We have the knowledge and the drugs to stop this disease: no more need die or be infected, and yet the epidemic grows.
“At the end of this month, we will hold our AIDSfree forum here in London, hosted by the Secretaries of State for Health and International Development, and bringing together leaders, doctors, NGOs and activists from across our AIDSfree cities.
“This is our chance to influence how each of these cities will turn the tide and end this epidemic.
“With your support, we can show them that the people of this great city are already doing so.”
To read Sir Elton’s full article, click here.
