World AIDS Day 2022: Background, Objectives, and Importance

Every year on December 1, people all across the world observe World AIDS Day. It is organised to show support for persons who are HIV-positive as well as to honour those who have died from AIDS. World AIDS Day was established in 1988 and was the first day dedicated to global health. This day is also a call to action for people all around the world to unite in order to eliminate the gaps and inequities that prohibit HIV testing, prevention, and access to care.

Governments, civil society groups, and UN-affiliated organisations work together every year to support campaigns that focus on certain HIV-related issues. Therefore, it is important to comprehend the significance of both this day and the year’s theme.

2022 World AIDS Day: History
World AIDS Day was first proposed in 1987. This day is commemorated to encourage dialogue on AIDS and HIV among national and local governments, private individuals, and international organisations. It was created by Thomas Netter and James W. Bunn, two public information officers of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Since 1996, UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) has been in charge of its coordination and promotion. The next day, December 1, 2017, President Donald Trump declared it to be World Aids Day.

2022 World AIDS Day: Theme
This year’s World AIDS Day has the slogan “Equalize.” It suggests that everyone should work to eliminate the inequalities that, in UNAIDS’ perspective, are preventing the spread of AIDS. This year’s topic is the most current in a long series of issues that need to be addressed.

2022 World AIDS Day: Importance
Over 38.4 million people would have tested positive for HIV by the end of 2021, with 25.6 million of those people residing in the WHO African Region. In the UK, an average of 4,139 people are diagnosed with HIV each year, and stigma and discrimination are still pervasive among many people who have the illness.

The purpose of World AIDS Day is to raise awareness of the seriousness of the problem and the need for immediate funding, education, the elimination of discrimination, and improved educational opportunities.