World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, 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. 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.World Health Organization, WHO campaigns.
, AIDS has killed between 27.2 million and 47.8 million people worldwide, and an estimated 37.7 million people are living with HIV,Global HIV & AIDS statistics — Fact sheet UNAIDS. Accessed 4 December 2021. 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).
History
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.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 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. 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.
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.
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. Rather than focus on a single day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education. In 2004, the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization.
Each year since 1988, Popes have released a greeting message for patients and doctors on World AIDS Day.Message for the World AIDS Day Message of Caritas Internationalis On Occasion of World AIDS Day 2006 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.
In the US, the White House began marking World AIDS Day with the iconic display of a AIDS Ribbon on the building's North Portico in 2007. 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. 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.
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. In 2025, however, the Trump administration instructed American officials to not commemorate it, following cuts to HIV prevention.
Themes All the World AIDS Day 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. each year's theme is chosen by the Global Steering Committee of the World AIDS Campaign (WAC).
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.
the multi-year theme for World AIDS Day is "Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero discrimination."World Health Organization, World Aids Day 2012: Closing in on global HIV targets. Accessed 8 April 2014 The US Federal theme for the year 2014 was "Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-Free Generation".
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.
World AIDS Day Themes
No Year Theme, Minnesota Department of Health Aspect of Note 1 1988 Communication The first year celebrated and the first time with UN recognition. 2 1989 Youth 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 21 2008 Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Lead – Empower – Deliver 22 2009 Universal Access and Human RightsWorld AIDS Day avert.org 23 2010 Universal Access and Human Rights 24 2011 Getting to Zero World_AIDS_Campaign 25 2012 Together We Will End AIDSWorld AIDS Day 2012 UNAids 26 2013 Zero DiscriminationWorld AIDS Day 2013 UNAids Via this day's "Zero Discrimination" campaign, UNAIDS launched the first UN "Zero Discrimination Day" held on 1 March 2014 27 2014 Close the GapWorld AIDS Day 2014 UNAids 28 2015 On the Fast Track to End AIDSWorld AIDS Day 2015 UNAids 29 2016 Hands up for #HIVpreventionWorld AIDS Day 2016 UNAids 30 2017 My Health, My RightUNAIDS launches 2017 World AIDS Day campaign-right to health UNAids 31 2018 Know your StatusKnow your HIV status UNAids 32 2019 Communities Make the DifferenceCommunities make the difference UNAids 33 2020 Global Solidarity Shared Responsibility Described as "like no other", due to COVID-19. 34 2021End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics. (UN) Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone's Voice (US) 35 2022Equalize 36 2023Let Communities Lead 37 2024Take the Rights Path 38 2025 Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response
See also AIDS Awareness Week List of LGBTQ awareness periods National AIDS Testing Day (United States) Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS World Health Day Day Without Art HIV.gov World AIDS Vaccine Day
References
External links
World AIDS Day – UK site
World AIDS Day Campaign – WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region World Aids Day posters from the AIDS Posters Collection – UCLA Library The ILO's Getting to Zero at the workplace campaign
US Presidential Proclamations for World AIDS Day
2024 Proclamation 2023 Proclamation 2022 Proclamation 2021 Proclamation 2020 Proclamation 2019 Proclamation 2018 Proclamation
2015 Proclamation 2014 Proclamation 2013 Proclamation 2012 Proclamation 2011 Proclamation 2010 Proclamation
2004 Proclamation 2003 Proclamation 2002 Proclamation 2001 Proclamation
1999 Proclamation
1997 Proclamation 1996 Proclamation 1995 Proclamation