Cricket World Cup batty about AIDS

A new partnership between international sportsmen and relief agencies is literally picking up the bat against the global impact of HIV/AIDS on young people.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has teamed up with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNAIDS and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership to spread the message of prevention, care and treatment to some 2 billion viewers of the Cricket World Cup 2007 when it starts on Sunday in Jamaica.

"With cricket so popular in countries [like India and South Africa] which are hard-hit by the pandemic, the public - and especially young people aged between 15 and 24 - would get information on how to protect themselves against the HI virus," David Singh, Communication Officer for UNICEF in New York, told PlusNews.

India and South Africa are home to around 11 million of the more than 40 million people estimated to be living with HIV around the globe, and young people worldwide continue to bare the brunt of the pandemic.

Singh stressed the need for greater collaboration between the private and public sectors in implementing anti-AIDS strategies with a broader reach, and suggested a definite focus on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the HI virus.

"All too often, HIV-positive mothers and fathers conceive without the benefits of PMTCT or antiretroviral therapy.

Children are the most devastated as a result of a lack of these services, yet they continue to be the missing face of the AIDS pandemic," he commented.

The ICC is expected to be a powerful ally in ensuring that the world's children are at the centre of the global AIDS response.

During the the much anticipated World Cup, the campaign will feature leading players, including South Africa's Makhaya Ntini and Rahul Dravid from India, in a series of public service announcements focusing on PMTCT, increased access to paediatric ARVs and education campaigns aimed at young adults and children.

ICC President Percy Sonn was confident that the range of activities delivered during the tournament would make a difference in raising awareness and reducing the stigma around HIV among the ever-growing number of cricket fans.

"The spirit of cricket is a special part of this game, and is a concept that stretches beyond the boundaries of the outfield," Sonn said in a recent statement.

Echoing Sonn's sentiments, UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot added that sport was a force for change that could break down barriers, build self-esteem and teach life skills and social behaviour.

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