World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1, every year. This day is observed to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate the people who have lost their lives to AIDS.
The theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is 'End inequalities. End AIDS.' The aim is to focus on people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services. World AIDS Day was first observed in 1987 as the first-ever global health day by James W Bunn and Thomas Netter.
HIV remains a major public health issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Although the world has made significant progress in recent decades, important global targets for 2020 were not met due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to WHO, there are approximately 38 million people who are living with HIV and it has killed more than 35 million people since 1988.
There is no cure for the HIV infection. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, it has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people to live a long and healthy life.
As per WHO, globally 73% of people living with HIV received lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2020 but more efforts are needed to scale up treatment, particularly for children and adolescents.
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