Oscar Winners Join Together for a World Without AIDS

Sir Elton John and David Furnish hosted the 23rd annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party and raised $5.8 million to fight against HIV/AIDS. The star studded party took place in West Hollywood Park, Los Angeles.

Sir Elton John started the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) first in the United States in 1992 and in the United Kingdom in 1993. Elton believes AIDS can be beaten. EJAF raises funds for effective programs and policies for HIV positive people. The two foundations together have raised $321 million over the last two decades. The funds were used to remove stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment and services and also to motivate governments to eradicate AIDS.

A live auction was followed the dinner to raise funds for EJAF. The U.S. foundation focuses on programs in the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean, while the U.K. foundation focuses on HIV-related work in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Sir Elton John said, "What we're able to do in just one evening continues to amaze me,". "Because of your generosity last year, we helped nearly 70,000 people across the U.S. and the Caribbean to receive regular HIV testing services. Because you cared, an additional 15,000 people were able to stay in continuous medical care, and nearly 12,000 achieved complete viral suppression. That's an amazing achievement. And this year, we're poised to do even more. Together, we're making real progress against this epidemic by helping one person, one community, at a time. And it is not at all unrealistic to think that together we can end AIDS in our lifetime."






Source: Medindia