At the International Aids Society Conference in Washington DC, 22 – 27 July 2012,  ACTION (www.action.org) launched two new mascots for TB and HIV! In their first outing at an international conference, they even got the chance to meet internationally reknowned actress, comedian and activist Whoopi Goldberg, who during her closing remarks on a TB-HIV session at the conference noted:

“We can find an ant taking a poop under the stairs in space, we should be able to find a way to save peoples lives….to end AIDS, we have to join together and tackle AIDS and TB….children cannot wait!” — Whoopi Goldberg, on TB-HIV at the International AIDS Society Conference, Washington, DC 2012.

HIV mascot beating the tar out of the TB piñata

Encouraging people attending the conference to engage and learn more about TB-HIV coinfection and it’s impact on Aids and international development, the two mascots took to the streets of Washington DC and took part in protest marches, calling for an end to Aids and TB and even took part in a piñata competition at the TB-HIV networking zone at the conference!

RESULTS UK will be continuing to keep an eye out for the TB and HIV mascots at upcoming international conferences including the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (IUATLD) conference (http://kualalumpur2012.worldlunghealth.org/), taking place in November 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.