Prime Minister Julia Gillard has described the global spread of AIDS as a "catastrophe and a crisis" on the eve of World AIDS Day.
To mark World AIDS Day tomorrow, Ms Gillard has been joined by U2 frontman Bono at the ceremony that saw the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge lit up in red lights.
The Prime Minister has delivered a speech calling for an international response to AIDS and HIV.
She says every sufferer should have access to medication to treat the disease.
"Since the 1990s, we've also had combination drug therapies that can slow and sometimes even halt the progress of AIDS, saving lives and enhancing the quality of life," she said.
"And I say today, those drugs belong in the hands of everyone living with HIV no matter who they are or where they live.
"HIV/AIDS has no boundaries nor should our response."
Ms Gillard paid tribute to the Irish rocker and social activist, who is on tour in Australia, saying he has a message of hope for AIDS sufferers.
"A message that with adequate funding, coordination and goodwill, HIV/AIDS can be mitigated and overcome. That is the hope that unites us today," she said.
But Ms Gillard said a sense of urgency was needed in the fight against AIDS.
"There is also a sense here in Australia and other developed nations that the prevention message is being lost as new generations grow up and complacency sets in," she said.
"There is no room for complacency in the HIV/AIDS debate."
More than 25 million people have died from AIDS and another 35 million live with the condition.
Sydney's landmarks join a number around the world to be transformed for the day, including the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Westminster in London.
source : http://au.news.yahoo.com/
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