(RED)

AIDS-FREE GENERATION BY 2015

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When HIV Positive Mothers Speak: Preventing HIV in Infants

Rosalie is HIV positive and in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission program at at the Siaya District Hospital in Kenya. Her daughter Tabetha was born without the virus.

Guest post by Jennifer James, Mom Bloggers for Social Good (via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

“After I lost Nomthunzi, my life was never the same again. I cried for a long time.” Despite the grief of losing her husband and baby, Nomthunzi, to AIDS, Florence Ngobeni-Allen pressed on and became an ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) to educate women about the importance of HIV testing and stopping the transmission of HIV to their babies.

Times have certainly changed for many who live with HIV/AIDS.  Where once being diagnosed HIV positive was a definite death sentence, particularly in the developing world, many people can now live and thrive with HIV/AIDS, including babies.

Nine-hundred babies are born with HIV each day, according to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). In a recent online discussion with the foundation, bloggers were told that without treatment 50 percent of these babies will die before their second birthday. Today, around the world, 34.2 million people are estimated to be HIV positive and 3.4 million of them are children.

Two of the foundation's ambassadors, Florence Ngobeni-Allen and Martha Cameron, are HIV-positive. They are also mothers who spread awareness to other mothers about mother-to-child transmission of the virus (passing the virus from the pregnant mother to her baby, in utero).

They stress to mothers globally that even though they may be HIV-positive their babies don't need to be born with the HIV virus. In fact, 100 percent of all mother-to-child transmission of HIV is preventable. During the discussion both Ngobeni-Allen and Cameron repeated that the first step in decreasing the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is through testing. When a woman knows her status she can prevent her baby from being born with HIV.

Martha Cameron grew up in Zambia and watched as countless members of her family passed away from AIDS, including her mother when Cameron was only 23-years-old. After severe bouts of illness both in the United States and Africa, Cameron tested positive for HIV in 2003. Despite her status, Cameron got married in 2007 and shortly thereafter she and her husband decided to have children.

“For African women it is such a big deal,” said Cameron. “It's dignity for a woman to have children.” Through education from her doctors and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV Cameron has delivered two HIV-negative babies and her husband continues to be HIV-negative as well.

Florence Ngobeni-Allen’s story is different because she lost her husband and her baby daughter, Nomthunzi, to AIDS in South Africa in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

In those days there were “no antiretroviral medicines available for children at that time in South Africa,” Ngobeni-Allen wrote in her personal story. Now, Ngobeni-Allen is a wife and mother of a HIV-negative son and husband.

Today there is no reason for babies to be born HIV-positive. Through early testing, education, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV every baby can be born HIV-free.

See the full article here.

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The year 2015: it's kind of a big deal. It could mark the first AIDS FREE GENERATION being born in over 30 years. We can't think of a better way to count down to 2015 than with the all new (TOURNEAU)RED Special Edition watches. With every purchase of the (PRODUCT)RED watches, Tourneau will contribute 15% of the retail price to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Inspired by Tourneau's TNY series, the two limited edition Tourneau (PRODUCT)RED timepieces feature styles for both men and women. Displaying (RED)'s signature color and the highest quality of Swiss craftsmanship, the watches are available throughout Tourneau stores in the United States and online.

Start the countdown to an AIDS FREE GENERATION today. Visit www.tourneau.com/red for more details. 

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'Hola' and 'Adios' mean so much more with the latest special edition collection of innovative smartphone products and services in over 15 Latin American countries from our proud partners (TELCEL)RED and (CLARO)RED.

To help fight for an AIDS FREE GENERATION by 2015, Claro and Telcel have committed to donate $1 million per year over the next four years to help support Global Fund HIV/AIDS programs in Africa and Latin America. The Telcel and Claro (PRODUCT)RED mobile devices were designed to give wireless consumers throughout Latin America a chance to join forces and help fight for an AIDS FREE GENERATION. 

(CLARO)RED and (TELCEL)RED products are available at any Telcel or Claro retailers throughout Mexico and Claro's LatinAmerican countries as well as Sears and Sanborns in Mexico.  In addition, Telcel, Claro and the Carlos Slim Foundacion are putting (RED) on the map in Latin America through community events such as the recent 'La Carrera 5 y 10 KM (TELCEL)RED.' It was great to see so many people turn out to support and raise awareness for (RED). The power to fight AIDS in Latin America through your mobile device is here. Cómpralo. Únete. Actívate. Check out your nearest Claro and Telcel stores today and found out more at www.claro.com/red or www.telcel.com/red

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Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, Global Health Policy Manager at ONE

After experiencing my first-ever International AIDS Conference (IAC), I was struggling to think about how I could possibly recap all that I saw and heard over the past week. So, I decided to go back to basics and use the alphabet to walk you through some of my experiences. 

“AIDS-Free Generation”: This was the rallying cry of Secretary Clinton on the first full day of the conference. She also committed to developing a road map by World AIDS Day that would show how achieving an AIDS-Free Generation would be possible.

“Beginning of the end of AIDS”: This phrase was on nearly every high-level panelist’s lips this year. Some believed it was a key aspirational target that was achievable, while others argued it was too soon to be using it with millions of new HIV infections still occurring each year. See what ONE thinks about this vision here.

Condomize! A campaign set up at IAC to promote safe sex. During the IAC, they handed out condoms on a scale reportedly greater than that of the Olympic Village. They had some of the most loud, fun, and engaging displays throughout the conference.

District of Columbia: Home to this year’s IAC, marking the first time that the IAC has been back on US soil in 20 years. DC Mayor Gray spoke at the opening session about the progress — including no child born with HIV since 2009 and a new policy allowing DC government employees to take time off from work to get an HIV test — made in combating the District’s own AIDS epidemic, which is the worst in the United States.

Eliminating mother-to-child transmission: One major pillar of ONE’s HIV/AIDS campaign work, this goal was cited often as one piece of the puzzle that was seen as achievable (although with debates ongoing about by when).

Financing: The key questions underpinning all of the aspirational phrases at IAC were “How much will this cost?” and “Who will pay for it?” Former President Clinton reminded us in his closing keynote that, for the first time, low- and middle-income countries are now paying for more than half of the AIDS response themselves — an under-highlighted accomplishment.

Gender: An important lens through which many argued we must do a better job of seeing our investments in AIDS, as women now make up more than half of the AIDS epidemic.

Hollande: In an opening video address, new French Prime Minister Hollande went on the record in support of the vision of the Beginning of the End of AIDS, the 15 million people on treatment target, and financing mechanisms including the Global Fund, UNITAID and an FTT. Merci!

Investment framework: Produced last year, the IF was designed to show how resources could be more effectively channeled and targeted to fight AIDS. This year’s IAC featured many sessions that studied and highlighted how the IF is being applied in country to produce better outcomes at lower cost.

Jargon: With sessions like “Community-based adherence support associated with improved virological suppression in adults receiving antiretroviral treatment: five-year outcomes from a multicenter cohort study in South Africa” — you’d better believe there was a lot of health and development jargon flying around!

Khai: my partner-in-crime from ONE, who spent most of his days at IAC focused on science, data, and financing (at will!). You can read his blog recaps here and here.

Lost (in the convention center): The sprawling location of the IAC this year made it difficult to find sessions and even more difficult to get a true sense of the community attending. Particularly with the Global Village buried in the basement, the IAC felt distinctly quiet this year.

Marginalized populations: A main theme at this year’s IAC was the need to do much better by marginalized populations (including men who have sex with men, injection drug users, and sex workers) in the AIDS response.

“Nothing about us without us”: another rallying cry heard repeated throughout the conference, especially related to “M” above.

Ownership: the topic of ownership of health outcomes and programs was a common one. As in the financing discussions, much was made about how affected countries could and should take greater responsibility for their own pandemics, and how donors could help facilitate this transition.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis: one of many (relatively) new interventions discussed throughout the week, surrounded by many questions: how and when to use it, how to implement it in the field, how to finance it relative to other prevention interventions.

Quilt: the AIDS Memorial Quilt was out on the National Mall all week, and a number of panels were hanging in the main session room, serving as a poignant and personal reminder to all IAC attendees of the toll this disease has caused in three decades.

R&D: Many, including Bill Gates, were quick to remind us that if we want to talk about the end of AIDS, we have to double down on investments in research and development — particularly focused on a vaccine and eventually a cure.

Sex workers: Although this group was largely unable to attend the IAC because of travel restrictions, they still managed to make their presence known through a satellite conference in India and a number of vocal protests throughout the week

Turning the Tide Together: the theme for the conference, uttered approximately 47,352 times at last count.

UNAIDS data: New data from UNAIDS shows that there are now 8 million people on treatment around the world. Unveiling this was one of the brightest spots in the conference, demonstrating that the 15 million people on treatment goal by 2015 (previously seen as quite a stretch) is actually possible with the right level of continued investments.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Another key prevention tool that was widely discussed in a number of technical sessions and that was oddly protested outside of the convention center.

World Bank: It was a big week for the World Bank, with new President Jim Kim returning home to his previous community (AIDS activists) and delivering a series of powerful remarks. The Bank also hosted a debate with the Center for Global Development that provided intelligent back-and-forth over the merits of AIDS financing and an outburst of tweets online.

XDR-TB: OK, the X was a tough one… but HIV co-infection with TB was on the radar at this year’s IAC, with advocates from RESULTS to Whoopi Goldberg to stuffed mascots leading the charge.

Youth: Though the conference itself never felt particularly “youthful,” there was at least great lip service to the importance of involving youth in programmatic decisions and of providing better prevention services for youth. Nigerian teenager Ebube Taylor (whose story Michel Sidibe featured in our World AIDS Day report last year) stole the show with her remarks on a panel focused on PMTCT, and — bonus Y! —Yvonne Chaka Chaka also recorded a video message for ONE members.

Zzz: what I had to do all weekend once the IAC wrapped up, to make up for my lack of sleep during the week!

Can’t get enough of the International AIDS Conference? Read our previous articles on the ONE Blog here.

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The International AIDS Conference themed “Turning the Tide Together” closed in Washington, D.C., on Friday.  Throughout the conference, we heard leaders in the fight recall how at the start of the millennium, few could have imaged we would begin to reverse the course of this disease in only 10 years, that seeing the end of AIDS would be possible in our lifetimes.  Back then – just a decade ago – the tide was swiftly and increasingly moving in an awful direction.  HIV/AIDS had already killed more than 20 million Africans and was threatening to take the lives of forty million more.  Effective HIV treatment existed at the time, but only 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to these life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).  Jump forward to today and the new UNAIDS report, and we see 6.2 million people now have access to ARVs in sub-Saharan Africa, and 8 million people do around the world. Over half (54%) of the global need is now being met.

We also see strong progress in the goal to virtually end transmission of HIV from moms to their babies by 2015 and deliver the first AIDS free generation in more than 30 years.  2002 saw a peak in new infections among children, with an average of more than 1,500 babies born with HIV each day around the world.  That number is now down to near 900, thanks in large part to an increase in access for pregnant mothers living with HIV.  We are now reaching 57% with effective treatment to prevent transmission, up from 48% in 2010, and up from only 9% in 2004.

The Global Fund announced some momentous gains, as well:

– 3.6 million people living with HIV are now receiving ARVs under programs backed by the Global Fund, an increase of 600,000 since the end of 2010. – 1.5 million HIV positive pregnant women have received a complete course of ARV treatment under programs supported by the Global Fund. – The Global Fund has now helped save the lives of 8.7 million people.

Yes, the tide is turning, and it has taken a massive and sustained collective effort of national governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals who have come together and are committed to ending the AIDS pandemic.  There is still much work left to do, but with the announcement of this new data, we should take a moment to remember what this fight looked like a only a decade ago, celebrate the progress made since, and then recommit ourselves to helping deliver an AIDS free generation by 2015.  

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Dispatches from the International AIDS Conference: The Power and Pitfalls of Protest

Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, Global Health Policy Manager at ONE

Protests naturally vary in method and purpose. But two keys to any effective protest are timing and targeting, and unfortunately the protests I saw today at the IAC were off the mark on both fronts. Picture the scene: an IAC panel focused on the US Congressional response to the AIDS pandemic, featuring four Members of Congress from both parties and Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist as moderator. They were there to highlight the bipartisan support that the fight against AIDS has had over the years and to discuss how, in this increasingly polarized environment, they could continue to make headway. Senator Rubio, Congresswoman Lee, Senator Enzi, and Senator Coons each also spoke about their own experiences seeing AIDS as they travelled domestically and internationally, and underscored their personal commitment to the issue.

Almost immediately, their voices were drowned out by protesters with agendas varying from the decriminalization of sex workers to the need for scaled up AIDS funding. The protests happened so frequently throughout the hour that it was difficult for any of the speakers to fully express their views or for a coherent debate to emerge. I understand the validity of protest—as did the panelists themselves—but these ultimately were so disruptive that they veered quickly from healthy to frustrating.

The protests may succeed in drawing the headlines tomorrow, but from my perspective they were aimed at the wrong targets at the wrong time. If anything, the five people on stage were and are champions of the US government’s response to AIDS. Some, like Senator Frist and Congresswoman Lee, have been at this work for years, working in the Congressional trenches to forge bipartisan support and drive unprecedented funding levels for the issue. Others, like Senator Coons and Senator Rubio, are newer to Congress and the fight, but have consistently used their voices and their votes to ensure continued funding for programs like PEPFAR and the Global Fund. Senator Rubio in particular has been articulate about our investment in AIDS as a national security and moral imperative, and about why cutting AIDS programs wouldn’t help our national debt but would hurt lives and our standing abroad.

At a time when our own economy is in trouble, it is courageous and commendable that Members of Congress would speak up so publicly about the importance of the fight against global AIDS and the need for new resources. The AIDS activist community doesn’t need to give them a free pass, but they must take care to educate, work with, and support these Members as they try to do the right thing and get others from both parties to join them. If anything, the message I wish the panelists had heard loud and clear from the audience was “thank you, and keep going.”

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How the world has made progress on AIDS over the past year

Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, Global Health Policy Manager at ONE Growing up, my family had a tradition that on Christmas Eve, each person was allowed to open one present. It was meant to give us just enough of a good thing to hold us over until Christmas morning.

Home-based HIV tester and counselor in Kisumu, Kenya. Photo credit: Morgana Wingard

In many ways, I felt the same sense of (admittedly nerdy) excitement today as I pored over the new global AIDS data released by UNAIDS. Last week, I blogged about their new AIDS data for sub-Saharan Africa, which was the Christmas Eve teaser of data releases—cause for optimism, but just the start of the information soon to come.

Read the full report here

And now that the global data is here, we know that the news is, on the whole, incredible: more than 8 million people in need are able to access antiretroviral treatment, up from just 300,000 in 2002 and up from 6.6 million just one year ago.

Framed another way, more than half (54 percent) of people in need of treatment globally are now receiving it. That’s a major milestone, and one that was perhaps inconceivable just a decade ago.

The good news continues from there:

Of the estimated 1.5 million pregnant women living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries in 2011, 57 percent received effective antiretroviral drugs to prevent transmission of HIV to their children –- up from 48 percent in 2010. This scale-up in access to treatment means that in 2011, there were 330,000 new pediatric HIV infections, down from 390,000 in 2010. Though we still have a ways to go, the data signals that progress is happening and that the virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV is possible

There were 1.7 million AIDS-related deaths globally in 2011, and declining death rates meant that there were more people living with HIV in 2011 than ever before: 34.2 million globally, up from 33 million in 2010.

Our collective investment in treatment is paying off and saving lives: antiretroviral therapy has added 14 million life-years in low- and middle-income countries globally since 1995, with more than 9 million of these in sub-Saharan Africa

From a financing perspective, even in the middle of a global economic downturn, the news is also largely good: global investments in HIV totaled roughly $16.8 billion in 2011, up 11 percent from 2010. And the story is not just about rich countries paying for treatment any longer. Low- and middle-income countries are steadily increasing their domestic investment in AIDS, reaching an estimated $8.6 billion in 2011 –- the highest amount ever.

In fact, as of 2011, 56 of 99 middle-income countries are funding more than half of their AIDS responses themselves—a needed and positive sign of shared responsibility for financing the response to this pandemic.

This good news should not allow us to feel complacent, because the report also highlights areas where progress is insufficient. In particular, there were 2.5 million new HIV infections globally in 2011, making new infections one of the few indicators that has not declined much since 2010 and that is far off track from global targets.

There is no way we will see the beginning of the end of AIDS until we can become far more effective in driving down rates of new infections (one of the three key policy objectives of our ongoing campaign), including among women, men who have sex with men, and other marginalized populations.

From a financing perspective, we still also need a greater sense of burden sharing, for the US continued to provide 48 percent of all international assistance for the global HIV response in 2011. We need other governments—from Europe, emerging economies, and African countries alike—to step up and provide the targeted investments needed to achieve the targets agreed upon by all at last year’s UN High-Level Session on AIDS.

Still, at a time when bad news tends to be the norm, we should pause to reflect on this new data and all the progress it represents. These new numbers should motivate us to keep up our fight and challenge us to believe in not just the control but the end of this pandemic. For those of us who consider ourselves AIDS advocates, Christmas has come early.

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Guest post by Malaka Gharib, Social Media and Blog at ONE 

No one likes to forget birthdays, especially of people who mean a lot to us. So I’m here to give you a friendly reminder that it’s Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday this Wednesday. It also marks Mandela Day, a call for people everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time.

If you didn’t have a gift in mind, don’t fret — the Nelson Mandela Foundation has come up with a simple, brilliant way for advocates like you to celebrate Madiba during his special day: Pledge 67 minutes of your time to doing something good, in honor of Mandela’s 67 years of public service.

SIGN UP FOR THE MANDELA DAY PLEDGE HERE

If you need ideas on what to do with your 67 minutes, the Mandela Day website has some great ideas. Educate your family on HIV/AIDS (love this one — ONE and (RED)’s 2015(QUILT) is a nice place to start). Help a friend revamp their resume (particularly useful in this economic climate). Get in touch with global health organizations and see how you can help (like Rotary International and the Red Cross).

67 IDEAS ON HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Once you’ve done your action, double the impact and share the pledge on social media. Who knows — you may inspire a few friends and family to join the movement.

Leave a comment on this post and let us know what action you plan on doing for Mandela Day. And don’t forget to keep an eye on ONE’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog this week for more ways you can celebrate Madiba’s birthday.

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Guest post by Khai Tram, Research Assistant on the Global Policy Team at ONE

Q. What three-letter acronym describes a gathering of nearly 30,000 scientists, activists, policymakers and advocates working on HIV/AIDS? 

A. IAC

This year, the International AIDS Conference (IAC) will be held in Washington, DC, from July 22-27. While DC hosts a lot of conferences, the return of the IAC to DC is a really big deal. In 2009, President Obama lifted the long-standing travel ban on HIV-positive individuals entering the United States, which paved the way for the IAC to return to the US for the first time in more than 20 years. The IAC is the leading conference on HIV/AIDS, providing a forum for stakeholders to discuss where we are in the fight against AIDS, what we have learned, and how do we move forward. The theme of the conference is Turning the Tide Together, emphasizing both the promising scientific developments in HIV treatment and prevention as well as the need for a global commitment to change the course of the epidemic. Speakers at this year’s IAC include former President Bill Clinton, Michel Sidibe (UNAIDS), Ambassador Eric Goosby (PEPFAR), Bill Gates, Sir Elton John and Whoopi Goldberg.

The IAC has had a long, rich history from almost the very beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It has played many roles over the years. Some highlights from past IACs include:

Atlanta, 1985: The first IAC was organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Emory University. More than 2,000 scientists and public health officials gathered in Atlanta to share information on the emerging new disease.

Photo caption: With HIV/AIDS rapidly spreading and killing, protests were numerous at the 1987 March on Washington. This ACT-UP coalition made a strong statement about governmental policies on the disease. The AIDS Quilt was also on display at the March; this moment was unforgetable. © Linda Hollingdate Photography

Washington, DC, 1987: The third IAC hosted more than 6,000 participants, garnering widespread media attention as discourse around the epidemic took a political turn. Protests and demonstrations took place after several controversial statements from figures in the US administration.

Vancouver, 1996: The 9th IAC, attended by 15,000 participants, marked a watershed moment in the history of the epidemic. In this year, researchers reported on successful studies of highly active antiretroviral therapy, which would transform HIV/AIDS from a fatal, incurable disease to a chronic illness that could be managed with proper treatment. Needless to say, the overall atmosphere in Vancouver among scientists and activists was of hope and excitement.

IAC Durban, 2000. Photo credit: Dipity.com

Durban, South Africa, 2000: The 13th IAC was also the first one held in a developing country, underscoring the magnitude of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa as well as the disparities in treatment access in the developing world. Just prior to the conference, 5,000 scientists and doctors signed the Durban Declaration, confirming the overwhelming scientific evidence that the HIV virus was the cause of AIDS at a time when AIDS denialism was rising up from within the South African presidency.

AIDS Conference in Vienna; Photo by IAS/Steve Forrest Vienna, 2010: The 18th IAC was held in Vienna in part because the organizers wanted to highlight the challenges of fighting the epidemic in the Eastern and Central Europe region. To this point, the Vienna Declaration was signed by more than 12,000 scientists calling on drug policies based on science, not ideology.

Check out the IAC website for more information and continue monitoring ONE.org for more information in the upcoming weeks.

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New AIDS treatment number in Africa gives cause for optimism

Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, ONE's global health policy manager

Progress in global development can often feel incremental; we celebrate a new road built or a new infection averted because effective, sustainable development is a long-term game filled with as many challenges as successes. But occasionally a statistic comes along that reminds us that in some cases, things are (to borrow a phrase from Charles Kenny) “getting better,” and fast. Today, to coincide with the 19th African Union Summit next week, UNAIDS released new preliminary data showing that there are now more than 6.2 million people on antiretroviral treatment across sub-Saharan Africa, up from 5 million in 2010. That number sounds even more beautiful in its rightful context: it’s a more than 100-fold increase in access to treatment for AIDS since 2002, when just 50,000 HIV-positive people in sub-Saharan Africa were on treatment. 

As we approach the International AIDS Conference in just two weeks, we are constantly reminded that there is much work left to do in the fight against AIDS—still millions in need of treatment, and millions more who need access to effective prevention and care services. But as we set our sights toward a larger vision of “the beginning of the end of AIDS,” today’s news gives us cause for optimism. Progress is not just possible—it’s happening, and it must be sustained.

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With an 1,100 mile road trip across Europe to help fight AIDS, it only seemed fitting to have an essential form of European transportation join us along the way. Our friends at Vespa welcomed the Cash and Rocket (RED) drivers on the third leg of their drive in Milan by turning their Slazio Broletto showroom (RED), as well as generously donating two one-of-a-kind (RED) branded Vespas that were auctioned off at the final stop of the (RED) Tour in Monte Carlo . 100% of the proceeds from the auctioned items were contributed to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS. Grazie mille Vespa!

And it's not to late to join in on the (RED) Tour! You can still sponsor a driver at www.crowdrise.com/redtour

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Join ONE's Google+ Hangout on the history of AIDS

Guest post by Malaka Gharib, Social Media and Blog, ONE  Google+ Hangout on the International AIDS Conference and the History of AIDS Tuesday, July 17, 2PM ET/ 6PM GMT   This month, thousands of AIDS activists, experts and doctors are convening at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., to figure out ways to work together on ending the AIDS epidemic. It’s an incredibly important moment, and that’s why we’re hosting a Google+ Hangout — a live video conference — next week to put this conference into context.

The AIDS epidemic has been around for nearly 30 years. Where are we now? What have we accomplished? What do we still need to do? Our special guests, AIDS experts Jen Kates and Todd Summers and HIV-positive AIDS activists Fortunata Kasege and Florence Ngobeni, will discuss their personal experience with the fight against AIDS over the past few decades and answer these questions.  RSVP for the event here.  If you don't have a Google+ account you can still watch the event live at http://www.youtube.com/theonecampaign  And don't forget to submit your questions in the comments section of the event invite! We hope you will join us next week and tell your fellow activist friends to join as well.

Special Guests:

Fortunata Kasege: Fortunata is a Elizabeth Glazer Pediatrics Aids Foundation Family Ambassador, traveling around the country speaking about eliminating Global Pediatric AIDS prevention. Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Fortunata Kasege, moved to the United States in February 1997 to study journalism. During this time, Kasege realized she was pregnant and sought medical care only to find she was also HIV-positive. Kasege received good prenatal care and eventually delivered a healthy, HIV-negative baby girl.

Florence Ngobeni: As an HIV-positive AIDS educator, spokesperson, and programs consultant for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Florence has come face-to-face with world leaders to advocate for AIDS relief. She considers it her life’s work to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who, like her, are living with HIV.

Todd Summers: Todd is an HIV/AIDS policy expert, working with organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kaiser Foundation and ONE. Todd has more than 25 years of experience in health policy, working in government and non-governmental organizations.

Jen Kates: Jen is Vice President and Director of Global Health & HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. She oversees the Foundation’s policy analysis and research focused on the U.S. government’s role in global health and on the global and domestic HIV epidemics.

Moderated by:

Erin Hohlfelder: Erin specializes in global health issues at ONE. Erin joined ONE after working as the Policy Associate for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, where she helped develop and lead advocacy, social media and legislative efforts around NTDs.

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Guest post by model Jodie Kidd on her journey across Europe for the Cash and Rocket (RED) Tour, originally featured on Stylist Magazine.

June 9

'We left Paris at 8am. It was a beautiful drive out of the city and through the incredible French countryside and onto Geneva. 

Along the way I was stopped for a routine police check up. They were so nice and asked lots of questions about the tour and what we were doing and I managed to get them to donate to the charity which I was really pleased about. They then wished us well for the rest of the trip. 

I bumped into more police at a petrol station when I helped one of the girls who couldn't open her petrol tank. All 15 of the police tried and it was only me who could find the button to release it, which made me feel very smug. I also helped Lilly Becker when I saw her on the side of the road who was worried about her car, but it was actually just the air conditioning over heating!'

Continue reading the blog here: http://bit.ly/Ksmxul

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Guest Post by Julie Brangstrup, founder of Cash and Rocket

I’ve had a lot of experience organizing rallies in the past.  For the most part, they attracted male drivers attracted to smart, fast cars.  It was fun but I started to think how great it would be to do away with the testosterone and need for speed and start a road trip for women to benefit women whose lives are limited by extreme poverty.

So, I decided to get a group of powerful women together – I wanted it to be a range of women from a variety of disciplines - business, the arts, finance.  I wanted to name it after my son, Cash and my godson, Rocket.  Despite the sound of it, it doesn’t refer to money and speed!  This road trip is about driving for a cause.  And when I heard about (RED) and learned of its focus on the 2015 goal of an AIDS Free Generation, I knew that was the cause to drive for.  This goal hit home with me, as a mother of six, as it did for so many of the participants on this trip.  A world where virtually no baby is born with HIV by 2015  - a world in which no mother has to pass on a death sentence to her child – this marks an incredible, and for me, an extremely sentimental milestone.  And we can get there.    

So on June 8th, the inaugural Cash and Rocket Road Trip leaves London for Monte Carlo with stops in Paris and Milan along the way.  70 women from the worlds of business, medicine, architecture, the arts, fashion driving in 35 (RED) and Cash and Rocket-branded cars.  Most of them are fundraising – we need everyone’s support so please check out www.crowdrise.com/redtour to donate. 

A huge thanks to all the women participating, the partners who have sponsored including Luxup, the Park Hyatt Group. Julien McDonald, David Morris and the (RED) partners. 

So, here’s to 1,100 miles, 35 cars, 70 women, 5 cities, three and a half years to an AIDS Free Generation. 

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Introducing the all new Bottletop (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition Collection. With dedication to design and craftsmanship our latest Special Edition partner offers a variety of fashionable handmade accessories, including the Luciana clutch, the Kibe belt, the Kristina handbag and the Eduardo keyring. 

10% from every (BOTTLETOP)RED purchase will go to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS. Better yet, an additional portion of the sale will be sent to the Bottletop Foundation - an organization that empowers young people to make healthy choices and protect themselves from HIV/ AIDS. Currently, the Bottletop Foundation supports over 35,000 young people each year through education projects in Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Brazil and the UK.

Be fashionable and fight AIDS. Shop now. 

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What could be better? Play Games, help fight for an AIDS FREE GENERATION and get a chance to play your favorite celebs on Xbox 360 & PS3! Or maybe you’d prefer a chance to win a pair of (BEATS BY DR DRE)RED headphones signed by Bono? 

You can do all that in The (RED)RUSH Games. Check out the different sweepstakes you can play for! And don’t forget to jot down the code! 

Sign up now at www.STiKSGAMING.com and game on!

Prizes (as of June 6th)

Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup aginst Brea Grant with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 11:30AM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 5:30 AM PDT 6.6.12 // CODE: GRANT19

Forza 4 gaming matchup against Madd Chad with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 12:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: CHADD31 NBA 2K12, FIFA 12, NHL 12, Forza 4 or Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup of your choice against Fatal1ty with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 12:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: FATAL1TY29 Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Jonathan Mangum with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 12:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: MANGUM39 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against tWitch with Video Chat from E3 on PS3 at 12:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: TWITCH52

Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Kevin Alejandro with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 11AM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: ALEJANDRO23

Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against PAZ with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: PAZ34 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Robbie Jones with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: JONES07 NHL 12 gaming matchup against Stephen Glickman with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: GLICKMAN60

Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Colleen Shannon with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: SHANNON67 FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Ali Nejad with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 2:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 8:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: NEJAD23 Forza 4 gaming matchup against Al Shearer with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 3:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 9:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: SHEARER41 LIVE E3 EXPERIENCE FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Steph Jones with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 3:30PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 9:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: JONES57 FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Cobi Jones with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 4PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: JONES13 Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Kris Allen  with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 3PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: KALLEN08 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Chris Galya with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 5PM PDT on June 6 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 11AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: GALYA81 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Michael B Jordan with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 12PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 12PM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: JORDAN21 Two VIP tickets for the Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway June 8th-10th // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6PM EDT 6.6.12 // CODE: EDC24

Two VIP tickets for the Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway June 8th-10th // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6PM EDT 6.6.12 // CODE: EDC13

NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Doug Christie with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 12:30PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6:30AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: CHRISTIE99

NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Austin Brown with Video Chat from E3 on PS3 at 1PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: BROWN77

Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Chelsea Tavares with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1:30PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7:30AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: TAVARES14 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Michael Vargas with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1:30PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7:30AM PDT  6.6.12 // CODE: VARGAS59 Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup against Raven Goodwin with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 1:30PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7:30AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: GOODWIN77

Forza 4 gaming matchup against Cameron Monaghan with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 2:30PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 8:30AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: MONAGHAN90 NBA 2K12, FIFA 12, NHL 12, Forza 4 or Kinect Sports Season 2 Tennis gaming matchup of your choice against Fatal1ty with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 3PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 9AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: FATAL1TY63 Forza 4 gaming matchup against Carmit Bachar with Video Chat from E3 on Xbox 360 at 4PM PDT on June 7 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10AM PDT  6.7.12 // CODE: CARMIT46 FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Tiesto on Xbox 360 at 1PM PDT on June 8 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 7AM PDT  6.8.12 // CODE: TIESTO88 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Chingy with Video Chat on PS3 at 12PM PDT on June 9 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 6AM PDT  6.9.12 // CODE: CHINGY81 NHL 12 gaming matchup against Amber Valletta on Xbox 360 at 2PM PDT on June 9 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 8AM PDT  6.9.12 // CODE: VALLETTA92 FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Aldis Hodge with Audio Chat on PS3 at 5PM PDT on June 9 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 5PM PDT 6.9.12 // CODE: HODGE81 FIFA 12 gaming matchup against Kate Upton on Xbox 360 at 6PM PDT on June 9 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 5PM PDT 6.9.12   NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against AJ Jefferson with Video Chat on PS3 at 11AM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10AM PDT 6.10.12  NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Antwaan Randle El with Video Chat on PS3 at 11AM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10AM PDT 6.10.12  NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Derrick Dockery with Video Chat on PS3 at 11:30AM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 10:30AM PDT 6.10.12  NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Lorenzo Alexander with Video Chat on PS3 at 12PM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 11AM PDT 6.10.12 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Samarie Rolle with Video Chat on PS3 at 1PM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 12PM PDT 6.10.12   Forza 4 gaming matchup against Louis & Isaac from Electric Touch on Xbox 360 at 1PM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 12PM PDT  6.10.12

NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Duane Starks with Video Chat on PS3 at 1:30PM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 12:30PM PDT 6.10.12 NBA 2K12 gaming matchup against Stockar McDougle with Video Chat on PS3 at 2PM PDT on June 10 // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 1PM PDT 6.10.12  

One pair of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones signed by Bono // SWEEPSTAKES ENDS: 5PM PDT // CODE: DRDRE15

PLEASE NOTE: You need to be 18+ and a resident of the US to enter the sweepstakes. Click here for full official sweepstakes rule. 

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We've kicked off our first ever (RED)RUSH TO ZERO campaign giving you more ways to fight AIDS and be (RED) than ever before.

Love Pinterest? Tag your pin with #REDRUSH June 1-10 and show us how you're joining in to help deliver an AIDS Free Generation by 2015 - we'll include you on our (RED)RUSH TO ZERO board! Are you sporting your INSPI(RED) T-Shirt? Gaming alongside celebrities in The (RED)RUSH Games? Checking-in at Starbucks on foursquare?  Pin a great pic and tag #REDRUSH. Get Pinning!