World AIDS Day

Tags: Important Days

World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1 December.

Important facts

• It is an opportunity for people around the world to unite in the fight against HIV, support people living with HIV, and remember those who have died from AIDS-related illness.

• AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is caused by the human immuno deficiency virus (HIV), has so far claimed the lives of 40.1 million people.

• At the end of 2021, there were 38.4 million HIV-positive persons worldwide, of whom 25.6 million were from the African region.

• HIV remains a serious public health concern affecting millions of people globally.

The theme of the 2022 World AIDS Day

• "Equalize" is this year's World AIDS Day theme. 

• It's a rallying cry to get serious about addressing disparities and doing everything we can to end AIDS.

• Therefore, it is important to increase patient access to HIV treatment, testing, and prevention services by improving the availability, quality, and usability.

Background of the day

• The day was first observed in 1988 by WHO. 

• The day was conceived by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two information officers for the Global Program on AIDS.

• These officers worked for the World Health Organization in the Global Program on AIDS.

• James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter took their proposal for a World AIDS Day to Jonathan Mann, director of the Global Program on AIDS, who liked the idea and recommended starting the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988.