The key to ending the HIV epidemic lies in cities like London.

Axar.az reports foreign media.

In an increasingly angry world, cities are beacons of openness and tolerance, places of refuge for the threatened. Tolerance and honesty are our greatest weapons as we strive to create an Aids-free world. But it is also within our cities that HIV continues to spread. Globally, 940,000 died of Aids-related illnesses last year, and another 1.8 million were infected.

We have the knowledge and the drugs to stop this disease: no more need die or be infected, and yet the epidemic grows.

Thousands of readers have already donated to Evening Standard’s “Make the World AIDS-free” Christmas appeal. Their support will fund HIV programmers in six cities across the world: programmers that will be the difference between life with dignity or death without it for those living with HIV.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank those who have donated already. But we still have a month to go and we need your help. If you can, please donate and start your year by saving a life.

In Evening Standard over the past few weeks, we have read extraordinary, inspiring stories of those living with HIV.

These are people like Andrew Williams, who I met in Atlanta, Georgia: a wonderful man whose story I will never forget.

Two years ago, he was diagnosed with HIV. Like many others, he believed his diagnosis was a death sentence. Today he is a changed man: healthy and happy.

Money raised from public donations through the AIDS-free 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.