ICC Champions Trophy Semi-Finalists help 'run out' HIV and AIDS

Players and umpires in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 semi-finals are playing their role in helping to 'run out' HIV and AIDS by wearing red ribbons as a symbol of support for people living with HIV.

This initiative is the latest activity as part of the ICC's long-term partnership with UNAIDS and UNICEF, which aims to educate and reduce stigma associated with the virus around the world. Wearing a red ribbon is seen as a simple yet powerful way to challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV and AIDS that hinders efforts to tackle the epidemic. Today New Zealand takes on Australia in Mohali and tomorrow South Africa plays the West Indies in Jaipur with places in Sunday's final up for grabs.

Shaun Pollock, South Africa's ICC Spirit of Cricket representative, said: "The global epidemic of AIDS is something that affects everyone, no matter where you are from. It is an enormous problem in South Africa and we as cricketers are conscious of the fact that we must do our bit to highlight the problem to the rest of the world. We are very lucky as cricketers in that we get to travel the world living our dreams so if we can help it is important to do so. We must do everything we can to support UNICEF and UNAIDS in their fight against the virus." AB de Villiers, Shaun Pollock's South African teammate added, "South Africa believes in the Proteas and we believe in ourselves. And we also believe that AIDS can be overcome in time by raising awareness and it is initiatives like that this that help to do that. We are behind it 100 per cent." Ms. Corinne Woods, Chief of Communications, UNICEF India, said: "Our partnership with the ICC not only celebrates the Spirit of Cricket but also the spirit of humanity and collective responsibility. The players have done a wonderful job of taking up the issue of HIV/AIDS and sending out positive messages on prevention protection and stigma and discrimination faced by the HIV+ people to the cricket fans all over the world."

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 about HIV and AIDS. Over the following three years many of the sport's top players have been active supporters of this cause with special activities taking place throughout the cricket world on a regular basis.

Earlier in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006, South African players Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Hall and AB de Villiers, as well as fielding coach Jonty Rhodes, visited children in Ahmedabad, a city of around five million people in western India, as part of UNICEF's 'Unite for children, united against AIDS' campaign in association with UNAIDS. Most of the children they met were AIDS orphans or HIV positive themselves.