Stars back HIV and AIDS awareness campaign at ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa by ICC Media Release

---

Event:

ICC Twenty20 World Championship 2007/08

---

DateLine: 3rd September 2007

 

Cricket stars from across the world will support the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF at the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 2007, which takes place in South Africa from 11 to 24 September, to highlight the situation of children and young people living with and affected by HIV.

 

The partnership is also receiving major support in South Africa from loveLife – South Africa’s national HIV prevention program for youth – to engage the youth audience who have become captivated by Twenty20 cricket.

 

Top players, including South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and India’s Yuvraj Singh will feature in public service announcements for the ‘Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids’ campaign highlighting how HIV impacts on the lives of young people. This will be made available to broadcasters in 105 countries across the world as well as being watched by fans on the big screens at the 27 matches during the tournament.

 

Other stars will visit UNICEF and loveLife community-based project activities in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg to promote HIV and AIDS awareness to young people and encourage them to develop life-skills to keep them HIV-free.

 

And top players are expected to wear red ribbons in selected matches to show their support for people living with HIV.

 

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara said: “I hope people will listen to cricketers, I hope that our support helps and that it brings a different perspective to building interest in these issues and raising awareness. It’s important to raise awareness any way that you can and if different voices and fresh faces help then that is good.”

 

South Africa star AB de Villiers added: “I have a very soft heart and to see those innocent children and the way they cope with HIV and AIDS puts a lot of what I do as a cricketer in perspective. I have been involved in a few projects to do with ‘Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS’ in different parts of the world where we have toured and it has been a very worthwhile thing to do.

 

“I feel a real calling to help wherever I can. The issue of AIDS is close to my heart because of the impact it has had on my country but I think we have a responsibility as high-profile sportsmen to do what we can as it helps to open eyes and it inspires people to do something about the problem. Awareness is a big factor in helping prevent the spread of HIV so the more we talk about it and keep it in the public eye the better.”

 

India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh added: “Any social cause is important for top players playing any sport because people look up to you and you need to make them understand and educate them about issues relating to HIV. Through the ICC working with UNAIDS and UNICEF, we can deliver important messages to people all over the world.”

 

Michael Hussey of Australia will also be supporting the campaign. He said: “When I visited an education project in the Caribbean during the ICC Cricket World Cup, I saw for myself the importance of educating young people on HIV and AIDS. UNICEF and UNAIDS play a vital role in addressing this epidemic and by supporting this partnership, by meeting young people and raising awareness of HIV and AIDS, I hope I can personally play a part in reducing discrimination.”

 

As well as player-related activities, the 500 volunteers working at the event have all received HIV and AIDS education from loveLife health trainers, supported by UNAIDS. There will also be advertising boards at the grounds dedicated to promoting the ‘Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids’ campaign.

 

The African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS – a coalition of more than 50 African broadcast companies – will also be supporting the partnership, promoting player visits and event activities related to the partnership.

 

Cricket is popular in many of the countries that are most impacted by AIDS, including India and South Africa. Together, these two countries are home to around 11 million of the 40 million people estimated to be living with HIV.

 

_______________________________________________

 

 

MEDIA INFORMATION

 

 

1. Player Visits – Player visits to projects will be organised during the build up to and during the ICC World Twenty20 2007 to HIV and AIDS awareness projects.

 

2. The two new 30-second Public Service Announcements featuring five of the world's top cricketers talking about how children and young people are affected by HIV and AIDS can be accessed free of charge at www.thenewsmarket.com/unicef

 

BACKGROUND

 

International Cricket Council (ICC)

 

In September 2003 the ICC became the first global sporting body to enter into a partnership with UNAIDS to help raise awareness and reduce stigma around AIDS. This partnership, which has seen a series of activities take place since its inception, including annual activities on World AIDS Day and at major ICC events, was joined by UNICEF in 2006.

 

UNAIDS

 

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations to the global AIDS response. Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. Based in Geneva , the UNAIDS Secretariat works on the ground in more than 80 countries world wide. Visit the UNAIDS website at: www.unaids.org

 

UNICEF

 

UNICEF is on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

 

Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids

 

The Unite for Children, Unite Against Aids campaign promotes four key areas: prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS; increased access to antiretroviral therapy for children and young people who need treatment; education programmes to help prevent HIV transmission; and increased support for children who are orphaned and left vulnerable by AIDS.

 

loveLife

 

loveLife is South Africa’s national HIV prevention programme for youth. loveLife has brought together a broad based coalition of international foundations working in HIV/AIDS prevention, major South African media organizations and private corporations, the government of South Africa, and leading South African non-government organizations with one shared goal – to turn back the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, and related epidemics of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, among South Africa’s young people.

 

African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP)

 

The ABMP is a historic pan-African coalition of broadcast companies for the purpose of reinvigorating and increasing the effectiveness of broadcast media’s contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The ABMP aims to embrace all African countries and to include both public and commercial broadcasters. Inspired by UN Secretary General’s call to action under the Global Media AIDS Initiative, the ABMP creates a structured framework for leveraging broadcast media resources with the goal of significantly expanding HIV/AIDS-related broadcast programming across Africa.