Actor Taron Egerton is hoping Independent readers will seize the chance to pay £5 so that thousands of people get the vital information they need to get tested to determine their HIV status.
The Robin Hood and Kingsman star is making the appeal on the fifth day of our 12 Days of Christmas messages in support of The Independent’s AIDSfree campaign, joining other celebrities such as James Corden and Victoria Beckham.
Egerton said: “It’s day five of the 12 Days of Christmas and I’m throwing my support behind the AIDSfree campaign.
“I am asking for your help and support with this.
“Five pounds is all it takes to make sure that someone gets the proper testing for HIV and AIDS and will hopefully help us end this awful disease.”
The AIDSfree appeal is raising money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation to boost awareness of HIV and fund access to testing and treatment, both in the UK and abroad.
Globally, 37 million people are living with HIV; a figure that rose by 1.8 million last year. In the UK, 15 people are infected every day on average.
Although HIV medical care is often both effective and affordable, around one in four people living with HIV don’t know their status because they haven’t been tested.
Money raised from public donations through the AIDSfree appeal will be used to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation projects in six key cities around the world (London, Nairobi, Atlanta, Kiev, Delhi and Maputo). Through UK Aid Match the UK government will double public donations up to £2m to be spent across projects in Maputo and Nairobi.
