World AIDS Day

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox holiday World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system of the patient and reduces its resistance to other diseases.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations, and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.

World AIDS Day is one of the eleven official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day, World Hepatitis Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, World Patient Safety Day and World Chagas Disease Day.<ref>World Health Organization, WHO campaigns. Template:Webarchive</ref>

Template:As of, AIDS has killed between 27.2 million and 47.8 million people worldwide, and an estimated 37.7 million people are living with HIV,<ref name="UNAIDS2020">Global HIV & AIDS statistics — Fact sheet UNAIDS. Accessed 4 December 2021.</ref> making it one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history. Thanks to recent improved access to antiretroviral treatment in many regions of the world, the death rate from AIDS epidemic has decreased by 64% since its peak in 2004 (1.9 million in 2004, compared to 680 000 in 2020).<ref name="UNAIDS2020"/>

History

File:AidsRusStamp1993.jpg

Russian stamp, 1993

World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.<ref name="NPR">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, International News, "World AIDS Day Co-Founder Looks Back 20 Years Later", CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update, 12 December 2007</ref> Bunn and Netter took their idea to Dr. Jonathan Mann, Director of the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Mann liked the concept, approved it, and agreed with the recommendation that the first observance of World AIDS Day should be on 1 December 1988.<ref name="newsworks">Template:Cite news</ref> Bunn, a former television broadcast journalist from San Francisco, had recommended the date of 1 December that believing it would maximize coverage of World AIDS Day by western news media, sufficiently long following the US elections but before the Christmas holidays.<ref name=newsworks/>

In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children and young people. While the choice of this theme was criticized at the time by some for ignoring the fact that people of all ages may become infected with HIV, the theme helped alleviate some of the stigma surrounding the disease and boost recognition of the problem as a family disease.<ref name="Speicher" />

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) became operational in 1996, and it took over the planning and promotion of World AIDS Day.<ref name="Speicher">Template:Cite web</ref> Rather than focus on a single day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education.<ref name="Speicher" /><ref name="Soest">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2004, the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization.<ref name="Speicher" /><ref name="Soest" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Each year since 1988, Popes have released a greeting message for patients and doctors on World AIDS Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Message for the World AIDS Day Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Message of Caritas Internationalis On Occasion of World AIDS Day 2006 Template:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, a collection of HIV, rabies, COVID and other respiratory virus NGOs (including Panagea Global AIDS and the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa) started a campaign to rename World AIDS Day to World HIV Day. They claim the change will emphasize social justice issues, and the advancement of treatments like pre-exposure prophylaxis.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

In the US, the White House began marking World AIDS Day with the iconic display of a Template:Convert AIDS Ribbon on the building's North Portico in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite wikisource</ref> White House aide Steven M. Levine, then serving in President George W. Bush's administration, proposed the display to symbolize the United States' commitment to combat the world AIDS epidemic through its landmark PEPFAR program.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The White House display, now an annual tradition across four presidential administrations, quickly garnered attention, as it was the first banner, sign or symbol to prominently hang from the White House since the Abraham Lincoln administration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since 1993, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation for World AIDS Day (see section #US Presidential Proclamations for World AIDS Day for copies of those proclamations). On 30 November 2017, President Donald Trump along with local community college students proclaimed World AIDS Day for 1 December.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Themes

All the World AIDS Day <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> campaigns focus on a specific theme, chosen following consultations with UNAIDS, WHO, and a large number of grassroots, national and international agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Template:Asof each year's theme is chosen by the Global Steering Committee of the World AIDS Campaign (WAC).<ref name="Speicher" />

For each World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the theme was "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise", designed to encourage political leaders to keep their commitment to achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support by the year 2010.<ref name="Speicher" />

Template:Asof the multi-year theme for World AIDS Day is "Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero discrimination."<ref>World Health Organization, World Aids Day 2012: Closing in on global HIV targets. Template:Webarchive Accessed 8 April 2014</ref> The US Federal theme for the year 2014 was "Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-Free Generation".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The themes are not limited to a single day but are used year-round in international efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit, as well as local campaigns like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign in the UK.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

World AIDS Day Themes

File:WHredribbonNorthPortico.jpg

A large red ribbon hangs between columns in the north portico of the White House for World AIDS Day, 30 November 2007

File:Condom on Obelisk, Buenos Aires.jpg

A 67 m long condom sculpture on the Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Argentina, part of an awareness campaign for the 2005 World AIDS Day

No	Year	Theme<ref name="MDOT">Template:Cite web, Minnesota Department of Health</ref>	Aspect of Note
1	1988	Communication<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	The first year celebrated and the first time with UN recognition.
2	1989	Youth<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3	1990	Women and AIDS
4	1991	Sharing the Challenge
5	1992	Community Commitment
6	1993	Time to Act
7	1994	AIDS and the Family
8	1995	Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
9	1996	One World. One Hope.
10	1997	Children Living in a World with AIDS
11	1998	Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
12	1999	Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
13	2000	AIDS: Men Make a Difference
14	2001	I Care. Do You?
15	2002	Stigma and Discrimination
16	2003	Stigma and Discrimination
17	2004	Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
18	2005	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
19	2006	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Accountability
20	2007	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Leadership	Template:Wikinews
21	2008	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Lead – Empower – Deliver<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
22	2009	Universal Access and Human Rights<ref name="avert">World AIDS Day Template:Webarchive avert.org</ref>
23	2010	Universal Access and Human Rights<ref name="avert"/>
24	2011	Getting to Zero<ref>Template:Usurped World AIDS Campaign</ref>
25	2012	Together We Will End AIDS<ref>World AIDS Day 2012 UNAids</ref>
26	2013	Zero Discrimination<ref>World AIDS Day 2013 UNAids</ref>	Via this day's "Zero Discrimination" campaign, UNAIDS launched the first UN "Zero Discrimination Day" held on 1 March 2014 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
27	2014	Close the Gap<ref>World AIDS Day 2014 Template:Webarchive UNAids</ref>
28	2015	On the Fast Track to End AIDS<ref>World AIDS Day 2015 Template:Webarchive UNAids</ref>
29	2016	Hands up for #HIVprevention<ref>World AIDS Day 2016 Template:Webarchive UNAids</ref>
30	2017	My Health, My Right<ref>UNAIDS launches 2017 World AIDS Day campaign-right to health Template:Webarchive UNAids</ref>
31	2018	Know your Status<ref>Know your HIV status Template:Webarchive UNAids</ref>
32	2019	Communities Make the Difference<ref>Communities make the difference UNAids</ref>	Template:Wikispore
33	2020	Global Solidarity Shared Responsibility<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Described as "like no other", due to COVID-19.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
34	2021	End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics. (UN)<ref name="UNAIDS 2020">Template:Cite web</ref> Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone's Voice (US)<ref name="HIV.gov 2021">Template:Cite web</ref>
35	2022	Equalize<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
36	2023	Let Communities Lead<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
37	2024	Take the Rights Path<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Wikinews

References

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External links

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US Presidential Proclamations for World AIDS Day

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