The year 2001 marked 20 years of AIDS, and with the anniversary came a report from the UN AIDS program making it clear that the epidemic is out of control. Inaction on the front of AIDS has proven deadly, with the total number of children and adults living with AIDS reaching a staggering 40 million.

Evidence shows that medicine can change AIDS from a nearly certain fatality into a difficult but manageable lifelong condition, especially in the area of prevention in young children. This motivates YAW to raise awareness and to push for student action through fundraising for organizations such as the UN AIDS FUND and through lobbying campaigns with local representatives. While the YAW platform puts special focus on the most preventable aspect of the epidemic - AIDS in children - we will be open to evolve with current events, and accommodate to the most pressing issues at hand.