The aim of World AIDS Day 2007 (1 December) is to highlight the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the HIV/AIDS challenge. As well as continuing to call on governments and policy makers to ensure that they meet the many targets that have been set, this year's campaign looks to other sectors of society for new thinking in fighting the disease. Families, communities, civil society organisations and business are all encouraged to become involved in providing stronger leadership on HIV/AIDS initiatives.

ODI continues to work on HIV/AIDS, building on research from 2005 and 2006 which focused on food and nutrition, the implications of HIV/AIDS on humanitarian responses, scaling up, and long term research methodologies. Research in 2007 suggests that the private sector can, and should, show greater leadership on national responses to HIV/AIDS. A new Briefing Paper on South Africa illustrates a range of workplace and community-based programmes. It provides ideas for corporations wishing to adopt and adapt similar programmes as well as recommendations for governments and donors.