Sauber race cars to carry “STOP-AIDS” slogan

Peter Sauber displays the STOP-AIDS slogan to run on his cars (Sauber) www.sauber.ch

Sauber Petronas, the Swiss Formula One team, will be putting a "STOP-AIDS" slogan on its racing cars at three Grands Prix.

The unique project is a joint venture between Sauber and the United Nations to raise awareness about the disease.

Sauber has teamed up with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to put the slogan and the red ribbon symbolising the campaign on its cars at three of this year’s Formula One Grands Prix.

In this way, the organisers hope to transmit their message to the large international audience watching the Grands Prix in Monza, Italy on September 15, Indianapolis in the USA on September 29 and Suzuka in Japan on October 13.

They also hope to raise funds for Aids-related projects.

Help from Adolf Ogi

Team boss, Peter Sauber, said that he came up with the idea following an Aids conference in Barcelona and contacted Adolf Ogi, former Swiss cabinet minister and now Special Advisor to the UN for Sport and peace, for help.

“The high profile of Formula One racing is exactly the type of platform that the worldwide fight against Aids requires,” said Ogi.

Fundraising

The initiative will also raise funds for two projects providing housing and care to Aids orphans in Botswana, which has been heavily afflicted by Aids, with close to 70, 000 children under 15 years old having lost one or both parents to the disease.

Noerine Kaleeba, a senior advisor at UNAIDS, said that although the epidemic was getting worse, there was a ray of hope.

“By raising awareness thought initiatives such as this one, we hope an increasing number of people will learn to protect themselves from HIV infection and will care and support those infected and affected,” she said.

Sauber added that he was proud that his team could help in the fight against Aids.

“It is clear that all sectors of society, including motor racing, can contribute to the effort to halt the spread of Aids.”

swissinfo with agencies

sauber summary

Botswana is the country with the highest HIV rate in the world.
38.8 per cent of adults aged 15-49 are infected with the virus.
Life expectancy is expected to fall to 36 years by 2005.
Income for the poorest quarter of households in Botswana will drop by 13 per cent over the next ten years as a result of HIV/Aids.
By 2021 GDP in Botswana will be 24-38 % less than it would have been without HIV/Aids.