Soccer great Ronaldinho aims to score goals in UN campaign against AIDS
Soccer great Ronaldinho aims to score goals in UN campaign against AIDS
A two-time World Player of the Year for the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and star of countless matches on his country’s national team and top European sides Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Milan, the 31-year-old attacking midfielder and forward has accepted an invitation from the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Brazil’s Health Ministry to promote AIDS awareness through sport.
“Ronaldinho is a great inspiration to young people the world over,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé said. “His voice will reach millions of people and bring new energy to our vision of achieving zero new HIV infections.”
Ronaldinho’s ‘new cap’ is just the latest example of close collaboration between UN agencies and the world of sport to advance humanitarian causes. “I am honoured to stand together with UNAIDS and the Ministry of Health of Brazil in the response to HIV,” he said. “I am delighted to make a small contribution to this important cause by doing what I do best: playing football.”
Globally there are more than five million young people living with HIV and every day 2,400 more become infected. Although the young are increasingly learning how to protect themselves, only one-third of them globally have accurate and comprehensive knowledge of how to do so.
Brazil has pioneered an effective response for many years. “Ronaldinho will be an excellent role model for young people around the world and is passionate about his new role,” Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said. “I am confident that he will be a real asset to the global AIDS response.”
Other sports stars who have recently lent their skills to UN causes include retired Algerian soccer striker Mustapha Rabah Madjer, who became a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Goodwill Ambassador earlier this month, and tennis champions Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Serena Williams of the United States, who are Goodwill Ambassadors for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Meanwhile, soccer greats Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane have been organizing charity games as Goodwill Ambassadors of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) for the past eight years.
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19 October 2011
International football ace Ronaldinho to raise AIDS awareness among young people
Rio de Janeiro, 19 October 2011—Ronaldo de Assis Moreira—the Brazilian football star also known as Ronaldinho—has accepted an invitation from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Brazil’s Ministry of Health to promote AIDS awareness through sport.
“Ronaldinho is a great inspiration to young people the world over,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “His voice will reach millions of people and bring new energy to our vision of achieving zero new HIV infections.”
Drawing on his years of experience in professional football, Mr de Assis Moreira will use sport as a means of engaging young people and raising awareness around AIDS. “I am honoured to stand together with UNAIDS and the Ministry of Health of Brazil in the response to HIV,” said Mr de Assis Moreira. “I am delighted to make a small contribution to this important cause by doing what I do best: playing football.”
Globally there are more than 5 million young people living with HIV and every day, 2400 young people become infected with the virus. Although young people are increasingly learning how to protect themselves, only one-third of young people globally have accurate and comprehensive knowledge of how to protect themselves from HIV.
Brazil has pioneered an effective response to HIV for many years. The Brazilian Minister of Heath, Mr Alexandre Padilha said, “Ronaldinho will be an excellent role model for young people around the world and is passionate about his new role. I am confident that he will be a real asset to the global AIDS response.”
> United Nations (UN).
The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 192 countries.
When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:
- to maintain international peace and security;
- to develop friendly relations among nations;
- to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
- and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
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* The above story is adapted from materials provided by United Nations (UN)
** More information at United Nations (UN)
