Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Blewett said, "Nearly 60 per cent of HIV positive people live in the Commonwealth, and half of all AIDS deaths have been in Commonwealth member countries. HIV/AIDS is, therefore, a Commonwealth emergency." The awards, run for the first time this year, are intended to celebrate exemplary work in combating HIV/AIDS. The twelve winners of the award are: Freedom Foundation, India; Naz Foundation Trust, India ; Kenya AIDS NGO Consortium, Kenya ; Story Workshop, Malawi ; Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture, Namibia; Anglo American plc, South Africa ; Positive Art, South Africa; Telkom, South Africa; AMICAALL Project, Swaziland; Toco Foundation, Trinidad and Tobago; H E President Museveni, Uganda; Standard Chartered Bank, United Kingdom. Awards were made for work in three areas: prevention; comprehensive care; and policy and advocacy. The award-winning work showcases the many different ways in which HIV/AIDS can be tackled. The Freedom Foundation of India, for example, asserts the rights of people with HIV/AIDS to receive care within their own communities. Telkom of South Africa, the nation's tele- communications company, supports its employees and their families, and has used its phonecards to provide AIDS awareness messages. In Malawi, the Story Workshop uses the popular medium of soap opera to spread its prevention campaign. Positive Art of South Africa combats the stigma of HIV/AIDS while providing a source of income for artists through the production of AIDS-related artwork. The winning submissions will now be published as case studies and distributed throughout the Commonwealth to encourage further learning and sharing. SOURCE: Commonwealth Foundation, 5 October 2001 Para55 Group: http://www.para55.org