World AIDS Day 2022- Activities on World AIDS Day

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World AIDS Day 2022

World AIDS Day 2022 will be celebrated on Wednesday, 1st December.

World AIDS Day is celebrated every year on 1st December all over the world to make people aware of AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome).

On that day people from all over the world come together to support people living with HIV and affected by the virus and to remember those who have died of AIDS-related illnesses.

In 2020, all eyes have been on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected our health. We have corroborated how pandemics shake both our existence and our livelihoods.

COVID-19 has once again brought to the table that health is directly interrelated with other fundamental issues, such as reducing inequality, human rights, gender equality, social protection, and economic growth. With all this in mind, the theme for World AIDS Day this year is ‘Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility.

COVID-19 has shown us that in times of pandemic, no one is safe until we are all safe. Leaving someone behind is not an option when we want to be successful. To end the time-coincident HIV and COVID-19 pandemics, eliminating stigma and discrimination, putting people at the center of the pandemic, basing our responses on human rights, and adopting approaches with a gender perspective.

In its new report, Prevailing against pandemics by putting people at the center, UNAIDS calls on countries to invest much more in the global pandemic response and to adopt a new demanding and ambitious set of HIV targets, but achievable.

If we succeed in making these goals a reality, the world will once again be on track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The President of the United States of America made an official declaration for World AIDS Day in the year 1995 which was followed by other countries around the world. According to a rough estimate, about 2.5 million people died due to HIV infection in 1981-2007.

Even after antiretroviral treatment was used in many places, in 2007 about 2 lakh people (at least 270,000 children in total) were infected with this pandemic disease.

History of World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day was first conceived in the month of August in 1987 by Thomas Netter and James W. Bunn. Thomas Netter and James W. Bunn were both public information officers for the WHO (World Health Organisation) AIDS Global Program in Geneva, Switzerland.

He shared his idea of AIDS Day with Dr. Jonathan Mann (Director of AIDS Global Programme), who approved the idea and started celebrating the 1st of December as World AIDS Day in the year 1988.

It was decided by him to celebrate the 1st of December every year as World AIDS Day. They decided to celebrate it at election time, away from the Christmas holidays or other holidays.

It should be celebrated during a time when people can take more interest and attention to news and media broadcasting.

The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, also known as UNAIDS, came into effect in 1996 and began to be promoted worldwide. Instead of celebrating one day, the World AIDS Campaign started UNAIDS in 1997 to focus on AIDS programs for better communication, disease prevention, and disease awareness throughout the year.

In the early years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children as well as youth, which was later recognized as a family disease in which anyone of any age group can become infected with HIV. Since 2007, World AIDS Day was initiated by the White House by giving an iconic symbol of the AIDS ribbon.

Purpose of World AIDS Day

The objective of celebrating World AIDS Day every year is to support the Member States well to develop new and effective policies and programs, strengthen the health system as well as enhance the capacity of health sectors to respond to HIV/AIDS.

Some of the main objectives of World AIDS Day are listed below:

👉 Guidance for member states to enhance prevention and control measures for HIV/AIDS globally.

👉 To provide technical assistance to member countries for implementation, maintenance, and prevention plans, as well as for HIV/AIDS treatment, testing, STI control, and antiretroviral therapy.

👉 To encourage more students from schools, universities, and social organizations to contribute to the competitions organized for AIDS.

👉 To control the number of HIV/AIDS infected patients as well as encourage religious groups to use condoms.

👉 To make people aware of antiretroviral drugs or other items that can help in fighting against HIV/AIDS.

👉 Involve respected (religious/elite) groups in the campaign to achieve the most effective results.

Importance of wearing a red ribbon on World AIDS Day

People all over the world wear red ribbons on this day to express their feelings towards people suffering from AIDS.

This is done to increase awareness about this issue among the people. Along with this, people also sell this red ribbon to raise funds for the people fighting this disease.

Similarly, it is also a way of paying tribute to the people who lost their lives fighting this pandemic.

As described by UNAIDS, “the red ribbon is a way of expressing goodwill to persons living with HIV and their caregivers.” Wearing a red ribbon on World AIDS Day should bring awareness to the issue And a good way to stop discrimination against the victims of this disease.

This red ribbon can be used anywhere around the world to create awareness among people.

Activities on World AIDS Day

Various activities are done on World AIDS Day to increase awareness among the people and to spread the message of the theme of that particular year. The main goal of the program is to increase awareness among the people.

Some activities are given below:

A public statement may be submitted by the Board of Agencies accredited to World AIDS Day.
Red ribbons should be worn and distributed as a symbol of hope for schools, workplaces or community groups. Electronic ribbons can also be distributed to social media outlets.
All activities (such as DVD exhibitions and seminars on AIDS prevention) should be encouraged by businesses, schools, health care organizations, clergy, and local agencies for their great work.
A candlelight parade can be held in a public park or a nearby agency can distribute the message of Aids prevention through entertaining performances by singers, musicians, dancers, poets, story speakers, and so on.
Community-based individuals and organizations should be associated with World AIDS Day activities to organize a planned meeting. These may well be started from local clinics, hospitals, social service agencies, schools, AIDS advocacy groups, etc.
For better awareness, solo programs or a sequence of independent programs by speakers and exhibitors can be scheduled through forums, rallies, health fairs, community events, faith services, parades, block parties and etc.
Other groups can actively contribute to the celebration of World AIDS Day.
A candlelight ceremony can be held in memory of persons who have passed away due to HIV/AIDS.
Religious leaders are encouraged to do some talking about AIDS intolerance.
Food, accommodation, transportation services can be started to provide companionship to people living with HIV/AIDS. They can be invited to social work, worship or other functions to inculcate morality in them.
Information about World AIDS Day can be distributed by linking to your agency’s website.
All planned programs and activities should be delivered in advance by e-mail, newspaper, postal or electronic bulletin.
People can be made aware of HIV/AIDS by displaying exhibitions, posters, videos, etc.
A large group of people can be informed about the activities of World AIDS Day through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, or other social media websites.

Themes of World AIDS Day

UN AIDS organizes the World AIDS Day campaign with special annual themes to raise better global awareness of the disease.

The list of themes for all the years of World AIDS Day is as follows:

👉 The theme of the AIDS Day campaign in the year 1988 was “Communication”.

👉 The theme of the year 1989 for the campaign for World AIDS Day was “Youth”.

👉 The theme of the year 1990 for the campaign for World AIDS Day was “Women and AIDS”.

👉 The theme of the year 1991 for the campaign for World AIDS Day was ‘Sharing the Challenge’.

👉 The theme of the 1992 campaign for World AIDS Day was “Commitment to the Community”.

👉 The theme of the year 1993 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “Act”.

👉 The theme of the year 1994 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “AIDS and the Family”.

👉 The theme of the year 1995 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities”.

👉The theme of the year 1996 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “One World and One Hope”.

👉 The theme of the year 1997 for the World AIDS Day campaign was “Children live in a world of AIDS”.

👉 The theme of the year 1998 for the World AIDS Day campaign, “Power for Change: The World AIDS Campaign with Young People.”

👉 The theme of the 1999 World AIDS Day campaign was “Learn, Hear, Live: The World AIDS Campaign with Children and Young People”.

👉 The theme of the year 2000 for the World AIDS Day campaign, “AIDS: People Make the Difference”.

👉 The theme of the 2001 World AIDS Day campaign was “I care. Do you do”?

👉 The theme of the year 2002 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “Stigma and Discrimination”.

👉 The theme of the year 2003 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “Stigma and Discrimination”.

👉 The theme of the year 2004 for the campaign for World AIDS Day, “Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS”.

👉 The theme of the 2005 campaign for World AIDS Day was “Stop AIDS: Promise”.

👉 The theme of the 2006 World AIDS Day campaign was “Stop AIDS: Promise-Accountability”.

👉 The theme of the 2007 campaign for World AIDS Day was “Stop AIDS: Promise – Leadership”.

👉 The theme of the 2008 World AIDS Day campaign was “Stop AIDS: Promise – Lead – Empower – Deliver”.

👉 The theme of 2009 for the World AIDS Day campaign was “Worldwide Access and Human Rights”.

👉 The theme of the 2010 campaign for World AIDS Day was “Worldwide Access and Human Rights”.

👉 The theme for the World AIDS Day campaign from 2011 to 2015 was “Achieving Zero: Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination. Zero AIDS-Related Deaths”.

👉 The theme of the 2016 campaign for World AIDS Day was “Hands Up for HIV Prevention”.

👉 The theme for World AIDS Day in 2017 was “My Health, My Right”.

👉 The theme for World AIDS Day in the year 2018 was “Know Your Status”.

👉 The theme for World AIDS Day in the year 2019 was “Communities Make the Difference”.

👉 The theme for World AIDS Day in the year 2020 was “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact”.

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