Do you know that the number of people who have died because of AIDS or AIDS-related illnesses exceeds the mark of 32 million globally?
This number indicates that there is a need to make people aware of the right HIV prevention tips. At the same time, it is equally important to spread HIV AIDS education to a wider public as it can be a great step towards the eradication of HIV stigma from society.
Hence, World AIDS Day is witnessed every year on the 1st of December as an initiative towards HIV prevention. On this day every year, people from all across the world come together to remember the lives lost due to HIV AIDS, hold campaigns and events for World AIDS Day, raise awareness, and offer support to HIV and AIDS-affected individuals. 1
Similarly, World AIDS Day 2024 will be dedicated to holding campaigns and other public activities to spread HIV/AIDS education. These activities aim to make people understand the right information based on HIV/AIDS research and to clear the AIDS facts and myths. Hence, ultimately, they play an important role in getting rid of the HIV stigma in our society.
So, if you want to support World AIDS Day 2024, it is essential to know about World AIDS Day history, HIV AIDS funding, facts about AIDS, and World AIDS Day Theme 2024. That is why, in this article, we have mentioned everything you need to know about global measures for HIV prevention and the importance of World AIDS Day 2024.
History Of The World AIDS Day
To help you better understand the World AIDS Day Theme 2024 and World AIDS Day history, let us first give you a quick overview of what HIV and AIDS are and why it is important to support World AIDS Day 2024.
What is HIV and AIDS?
The full form of HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a dangerous type of virus that directly attacks your immune system. As a result, your body's capacity to fight against infections decreases severely. This happens due to the destruction of your white blood cells by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Ultimately, your body becomes more vulnerable to catching diseases such as—
- Tuberculosis
- Cancer
- Infections, etc.
When HIV infection reaches the later stages, it can become life-threatening. This stage is referred to as AIDS. AIDS expands to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Treatment involves the use of antiretroviral therapy for AIDS. In fact, if a person with HIV infection is given antiretroviral therapy from time to time, the chances of them developing AIDS can be minimised. 2
Initial Cases of HIV In America - 1981
The concerns about HIV prevention began in 1981 when the initial cases of AIDS, that is, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, were reported in America.
America Responds to AIDS (ARTA) - 1987
Following this, HIV/AIDS research began, which ultimately led to the launch of the original HIV prevention campaign in America by the CDC (Centres for Disease Control). This campaign was called America Responds to AIDS, formerly ARTA, and it started in 1987.
ARTA aimed at—
- Increasing public awareness regarding the facts about AIDS
- Promoting HIV prevention tips
- Delivering easy-to-understand HIV/AIDS research-backed information to the masses
- Encouraging people to take HIV/AIDS education for a better understanding of the disease and HIV prevention 3
World AIDS Day History - 1988
Following the above-mentioned events, World AIDS Day's history dates back to 1988. In 1988, two public information officers of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised the 1st of December as the international day dedicated to HIV prevention and spreading HIV/AIDS education globally.
Importance of World AIDS Day and Its Role in HIV Prevention
HIV infection is a growing pandemic that has become a major public health issue in recent times. Lack of awareness about the correct HIV prevention methods, scarcity of HIV AIDS education, and the prevalence of HIV stigma make it one of the less talked about topics among the general public. That is why it has become a necessity to take initiatives for HIV prevention on the global level.
Hence, the World AIDS Day 2024 is a significant and remarkable social affair to—
- Generate awareness regarding HIV prevention
- Take a step towards eliminating HIV stigma from society
- Differentiating between AIDS facts and myths
- Spreading HIV/AIDS education to as many people as possible
- Raising HIV/AIDS funding to make better treatment accessible for affected individuals
Global AIDS Statistics and Key Facts (2024)
Before going into the details of the World AIDS Day Theme 2024, it is crucial to go through the HIV/AIDS research data, facts, and global statistics. This is because HIV/AIDS research helps us to know more about the HIV stigma, its prevalence, and the need for HIV prevention measures.
So, here are some key facts about AIDS that make HIV prevention and HIV/AIDS education a global need in today's times:
Global Statistics and Prevalence Of HIV
According to HIV-AIDS research by the World Health Organisation (WHO), HIV is one of the primary global health concerns. As per the estimations, it has taken almost 42.3 million lives till now.
Recent Reports
- Total Number of People Who Had HIV In 2023: Recent reports and facts about AIDS state that in 2023 (data collected in the last months of 2023), at least 39.9 million people were found actively suffering from HIV. 65% of this HIV-affected population, which means the people who were found living with HIV, belonged to the African region as per WHO.
- Total HIV And Related Deaths In 2023: HIV, its associated illnesses, and related causes were responsible for as much as 6,30,000 deaths in 2023.
- Total Number of People Who Acquired HIV In 2023: Due to a lack of HIV prevention measures and proper HIV/AIDS education, at least 1.3 million people (on average) caught the HIV disease in 2023.
What Is the World AIDS Day Theme 2024?
To participate in World AIDS Day 2024, apart from learning about World AIDS Day history and facts about AIDS, understanding World AIDS Day theme 2024 and its significance is equally important.
So, here is an overview of all that you need to know about the World AIDS Day theme 2024:
Take the Rights Path: World AIDS Day Theme 2024
The World AIDS Day theme 2024 is: Take the Rights Path.
The inclusion of the term' Rights' in World AIDS Day Theme 2024 signifies that it is essential to prioritise the rights of all humans to achieve global HIV prevention goals.
Thus, World AIDS Day Theme 2024 highlights the fact that in order to completely remove the HIV stigma and bring the AIDS epidemic to an end, it is absolutely necessary to make sure that human rights are well protected.
Some of the rights associated with HIV prevention movement on World AIDS Day 2024 include the following:
- Right to health
- Right against discrimination
- Right to privacy
- Right to have access to the correct information (based on HIV/AIDS research)
- Right to consent before getting medical treatment.
Apart from this, World AIDS Day Theme 2024 also brings forth the following steps for HIV prevention to emphasise the importance of World AIDS Day:
Community Involvement
Spreading HIV/AIDS education and information about the HIV stigma, facts about AIDS, and HIV prevention tips is important, especially in those communities that are most affected by this virus.
Extending Support to Marginalised Communities
Marginalised communities refer to groups of people who often get neglected.
When talking about HIV prevention and World Aids Day, 2024, this term refers to people who are not prioritised enough when it comes to medical health services related to HIV prevention. These are often the most vulnerable communities that frequently get excluded and discriminated against when it comes to having access to proper support services.
Examples of such marginalised communities include—
- LGBTQ+ individuals
- Sex workers
- People who do drugs 4
How to Support World AIDS Day 2024 And Encourage HIV Prevention?
To support the World AIDS Day Theme 2024 and encourage HIV prevention, here are some steps that you can take on this World AIDS Day 2024—
- Participate in Awareness Campaigns: One of the best ways to contribute to World AIDS Day 2024 is to participate in campaigns that assert the importance of HIV prevention. These can include local as well as online campaigns that make people aware of AIDS facts and myths. 5
- Raise HIV/AIDS funding: Raising funds for people affected by HIV/AIDS can help them get access to better treatment. It is, therefore, an excellent way to contribute to HIV prevention on World AIDS Day 2024.
- Wear a Red Ribbon: A red ribbon is the universal symbolic representation that indicates and extends support to the people who are affected with HIV and are currently living with it. Wearing a red ribbon, therefore, means that you are with these people in their fight against HIV. 6
Key Facts and Myths about HIV/AIDS Everyone Should Know
Despite the global efforts towards the commemoration of World AIDS Day every year and other associated initiatives that encourage HIV/AIDS education and promote HIV/AIDS research-backed information, HIV prevention is still a challenge because of the presence of myths about the HIV stigma.
Hence, on World AIDS Day 2024, it is important to differentiate between AIDS facts and myths. So, here are some facts about AIDS along with HIV myths:
Myth No. 1: HIV and AIDS are both the same thing.
Fact: One of the most important facts about AIDS is that it occurs as a result of a lack of HIV prevention and treatment measures during the early stages of HIV infection. This means that HIV and AIDS are NOT the same thing. AIDS is the more advanced stage of the HIV infection, while HIV is just a virus.
Myth No.2: HIV infection spreads by touching the same objects as the infected individual or hugging or kissing them.
Fact: HIV mainly spreads if you have unprotected sex or share objects that contain the blood of some other individual, for example, the needles used for medical purposes or for injecting drugs. 7
Myth No.3: If you have an HIV infection, then your body is going to produce obvious symptoms.
Fact: In some cases, HIV may not result in any clear-cut symptoms for even years at a stretch. In fact, sometimes, even when the symptoms are produced, they are very similar to the symptoms of a common cold or fever. That is why, for HIV prevention, it is essential to get tested on the slightest suspicion.
Impact of World AIDS Day on Individuals
With the right efforts, active public participation, and good promotion of HIV prevention methods, World Aids Day 2024 can contribute a lot towards clarifying the facts about AIDS. Hence, it has the potential to impact people on greater levels by making affected people believe that they are not alone in their fight against HIV and eliminating the HIV stigma from society.
Conclusion
All in all, by combining all the above initiatives and measures for HIV prevention, the World AIDS Day Theme 2024 ultimately aims to help the world completely get rid of AIDS by the end of 2030.
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