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HONG KONG, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The 11th UNICEF Charity Run which was held here Sunday raised over 11 million HK dollars (about 1.41 million U.S. dollars) from over 14,000 runners for a Zero-AIDS generation.
Organized by the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK), the UNICEF Charity Run took place at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
Henry Tang Ying-yen, honorary adviser of UNICEF HK, said that the event was a meaningful initiative to help many children in the developing countries to stay HIV-free, calling for continuous support from members of the public.
"Since 2000, thanks to the global effort of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, 1.6 million new pediatric infections have been prevented. There is also a 70 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children aged 0 to 4. These results prove to us that an AIDS-free world is achievable," Judy Chen, chairman of UNICEF HK, said.
Every day, over 400 children are infected with HIV through their mothers' pregnancy, child-birth or breastfeeding, Chen said, adding that more had yet to be done and the UNICEF Charity Run will be continued to mobilize resources to support UNICEF's global goal of a Zero-AIDS generation.
Since its launch in 2006, UNICEF Charity Run has gained the support of 110,000 runners and raised over 100 million HK dollars to support UNICEF's "Unite for children, Unite against AIDS" global campaign. (1 U.S. dollar = 7.76 HK dollars)
