On Saturday, July 16, 2016, in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the International AIDS Conference (IAC) returning to South Africa, AHF spearheaded the “Keep the Promise” march and concert. AHF, along with activist and actress/recording artist Queen Latifah, rallied through the streets of Durban demanding that global leaders decriminalize HIV/AIDS, provide more support for HIV prevention programs, reduce the price of AIDS medications, and increase global funding for HIV/AIDS treatment.
To further amplify the message, the demonstration culminated in a free concert held at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, directly across from the International Conference Center, where the IAC was being held. The show was hosted by South African rapper and AIDS activist ProVerb alongside television presenter Ayanda Allie Paine. Performers included Queen Latifah, rapper and actor Common, and local artists Mi Casa, Big Nuz, and B. Flow.
The event also featured powerful keynote speakers who inspired the crowd to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. One speaker shared that he was born HIV positive and didn’t receive his diagnosis until he was 15 years old—now thriving at age 27 with the help of antiretroviral therapy (ARVs).
Keep the Promise was a movement started in 2012 by AHF and global activists as a call to action for world leaders to fund universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
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