World marks 23rd AIDS Day

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December 1st is the 23rd World AIDS Day. This year's theme is Universal Access and Rights. People around the world are marking the occasion, hoping to raise awareness of the disease.

In India, school students in the western Rajkot city participated in a campaign to spread awareness about the immune system disease.

The organizer said that the students made a 40-meter-long formation of red ribbon, to spread the message: hate the disease but not the patients.

Sonal Shah, Organizer, AIDS Awareness Campaign, said, "The objective is to make the young generation of today aware of AIDS, as this is the responsibility of society, parents and family and the responsibility of schools and other educational institutions. It is our duty to show the students a red light towards the disease and to make them understand why this disease is dangerous, and why they should be careful and how."

In Australia, Bono and The Edge of the pop music band-U2 joined Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Sydney Opera House.

They watched the harbor area turn red for World Aids Day.

Gillard later said prevention and education are the best tools in combating the virus.

She also highlighted the danger of new generations becoming complacent about the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In the Western African country of Mali, community workers invited 20 rap performers to a two day workshop on sexually transmitted diseases.

The rappers used what they'd learned to compose a rap about AIDS and HIV.

Then they performed the song at a community event put on at the local youth center.

Over one million Africans have taken part in workshops and seminars to promote World AIDS Day this year.

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