Mrs Kandadara, a prominent AIDS activist and member of the World Health Organisation team, was the guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Harare Sports Centre.
Pamela Marongwe a young mother living with HIV also addressed the 5,000 strong crowd.
Other speakers included the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, acting UN Resident Coordinator, Dr Festo Kavishe and the Executive Director of UNIFEM Noreen Heyzer.
World AIDS Day was preceded by the release of the AIDS epidemic update on November 23.
The 2004 report reveals that that 57% of the people living with HIV in Zimbabwe are women. Furthermore, nearly 80% of the young people aged 15-24 years living with HIV in Zimbabwe are girls.
A number of other WAD commemorations were held in addition to the official launch.
The adjacent links present some of the speeches and information delivered in commemoration of World AIDS day.
The World AIDS Campaign theme of Women and girls and HIV and AIDS will continue through 2005 under the slogan of “Have you heard me today”. The Campaign will address women and girls vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and emphasise that the traditional approach of ABC, Abstinence, Be faithful and Condoms is failing and is not enough.
Women and girls are becoming infected not just because they don’t have information but because they don’t have the social and economic power to keep themselves safe.
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