HIV/AIDS originated in Africa during the early 20th century and has been a major public health concern and cause of death in many African countries. AIDS rates varies significantly between countries, though the majority of cases are concentrated in Southern Africa. Although the continent is home to about 15.2 percent of the world's population, more than two-thirds of the total population infected worldwide – some 35 million people – were Africans, of whom 15 million have already died. Eastern and Southern Africa alone accounted for an estimate of 60 percent of all people living with HIV and 70 percent of all AIDS deaths in 2011. The countries of Eastern and Southern Africa are most affected, AIDS has raised death rates and lowered life expectancy among adults between the ages of 20 and 49 by about twenty years. Furthermore, the life expectancy in many parts of Africa is declining, largely as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic with life-expectancy in some countries reaching as low as thirty-nine years.
The Miss Black America beauty contest is a competition for young African-American women. The pageant has garnered the support of artists, activists and performers including Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Oprah Winfrey. After 40 years, in 2009 the pageant had a "kick off" in Washington, D.C. to rebrand the competition. The first teen winner was Ashley Anglin. The first runner-up teen was Monet Jackson, a resident of Mitchellville, MD; and Destiny Welch, second runner-up and also an MD resident. The adult winner was DC native and MD resident, Miss Kamilla Collier-Mullin. The first runner-up Miss Cherie A. Bryant, a northern Virginia resident; and the second runner up was Miss Janesia Simmons in the adult pageant.
Mpule Keneilwe Kwelagobe is a Motswana investor, businesswoman, model, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1999. She was the first black African woman to win one of the Big Four international beauty pageants, the first woman from Botswana to win, and the first from a nation making their debut in nearly four decades. Kwelagobe had previously been crowned Miss Botswana 1997 and Miss Universe Botswana 1999, and competed in Miss World 1997.
Professor Sheila Dinotshe Tlou is a Botswana nurse, specialist in HIV/AIDS and women's health, and a nursing educator. She was Minister of Health from 2004 to 2008. Professor Tlou is a distinguished advocate for human resources for health issues. She is a recognized visionary leader and champion.
The very high rate of HIV infection experienced in Uganda during the 1980s and early 1990s created an urgent need for people to know their HIV status. The only option available to them was offered by the National Blood Transfusion Service, which carries out routine HIV tests on all the blood that is donated for transfusion purposes. The great need for testing and counseling resulted in a group of local non-governmental organizations such as The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), Uganda Red Cross, Nsambya Home Care, the National Blood Bank, the Uganda Virus Research Institute together with the Ministry of Health establishing the AIDS Information Centre in 1990. This organization worked to provide HIV testing and counseling services with the knowledge and consent of the client involved.
Positive is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language short film directed by Farhan Akhtar and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under their Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. banner. The film starred Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani in leads roles.
The Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) is an umbrella organization that unites and motivates media companies around the world to use their influence, resources, and creative talent to address AIDS. The GMAI creates a framework for sharing television and radio programming among media companies in order to increase public health messaging. The organization also educates journalists, editors and producers on how to cover the issue. HIV is preventable, and GMAI members aim to improve public awareness and knowledge to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Prarambha is a 2007 Indian short film directed by Santosh Sivan and funded by Bill Gates foundation. The film stars Prabhu Deva, Skandha and B. Saroja Devi in the lead roles.
Catiria Reyes, better known as Lady Catiria, was a Puerto Rican drag performer, film actress, and transgender beauty pageant winner. She was one of the main performers at the New York City Latino nightclub La Escuelita, where she entertained crowds for almost two decades. She was the first person to win two titles at the Miss Continental pageant in Chicago. Towards the end of her life, she became an advocate for AIDS awareness.
The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF) is a nonprofit organization founded to provide treatment for and conduct HIV/AIDS research. It is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and is managed with the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the University of Cape Town. The Foundation operates community sites throughout greater Cape Town, providing treatment, testing, and outreach services to at-risk communities.
Leila Luliana da Costa Vieira Lopes Umenyiora is an Angolan model and beauty queen best known for having been crowned Miss Universe 2011. She had previously won Miss Angola UK 2010 and Miss Angola 2010.
Tamara Garfield is an American actress, comedian, director and screenwriter.
Chantal Zaky is a Jamaican-American model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Jamaica Universe 2012 and represented Jamaica at the Miss Universe 2012 pageant.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) was founded over 30 years ago by Phyllis Tilson Piotrow as a part the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's department of Health, Behavior, and Society and is located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
Paulina Vega Dieppa is a Colombian television host, model and beauty queen crowned Miss Colombia 2013 and Miss Universe 2014. Vega is the second Miss Universe from Colombia.
Peter Ndimbirwe Mugyenyi, MBChB, DCH, FRCPI, FRCPE, ScD is a Ugandan physician, HIV/AIDS researcher, medical administrator and author. He is executive director and co-founder of the Joint Clinical Research Centre, and a leading authority on treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Anita Kyarimpa better known as Anita Fabiola is a Ugandan actress, tourism ambassador, Event host, business woman, and former beauty queen. In February 2019 she was appointed as a Goodwill Tourism ambassador headlining the "Tulambule" campaign in liaison with the Uganda Tourism Board to promote tourism all over Uganda. Prior to hosting the Be my date show on NTV in 2014, Fabiola became Miss Uganda West and the first runner-up in the overall Miss Uganda beauty pageant in 2013. She is also known for hosting some of the Africa's biggest red carpet events. These include Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards in Nigeria (2016), Namibia Annual Music Awards, Ghana Movie Awards 2017, Ghana Music Awards 2016, Glitz Awards Ghana 2017, Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards 2016 among others.
Kemiyondo Coutinho is a Ugandan playwright, actress and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She started a music platform titled A Ka Dope aimed at giving new Uganda artists an audience. Her directorial debut short film Kyenvu won Best Narrative Short Film at Pan African Film Festival. She was featured on CNN's African Voices for her influential work in the arts.
Christine Obbo is an Ugandan socio-cultural anthropologist. She attended school at Makerere University in Uganda, earning her BA and MA there and went on to receive a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, with a scholarship from Rockefeller Foundation. She was then a professor at Wheaton College and then Wayne State University, later becoming involved in activities with HIV/AIDS, gender, and policy issues.
Tlaleng Mofokeng is a South African physician who is the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. She campaigns for universal health access and HIV care. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2021.
