To give a more international dimension to its "Give AIDS a red card" campaign, UNAIDS joins forces with soccer players participating in the World Cup.
Nine of the 32 teams have chosen to support the new campaign to curb the spread of the HIV virus among expectant mothers and their babies.
The teams that support the cause include South Africa, Nigeria, France, Paraguay, Australia, Ivory Coast, Uruguay, Greece and Serbia.
The new campaign wants to raise awareness and stop children from being infected with HIV as well as help mothers to maintain good health. 90% of the 430,000 babies born with HIV in 2008 were African.
Every 90 minutes (the length of an average soccer match), 80 babies are born with HIV.
UNAIDS asked World Cup team captains to sign the following appeal: "Between now and 2014, when the next World Cup is played in Brazil, together we can stop babies from becoming infected with HIV and keep their mothers alive and thriving. Hence we appeal: From Soweto to Rio de Janeiro, "Give AIDS a red card" and prevent babies from becoming infected with HIV."