World AIDS Day takes place on December 1 each year, and has since it's establishment in 1988. It was the first ever global health day and is a day set aside to show support for people living with HIV around the world, and to remember those who have passed due to the illness.
The virus was identified in 1984. Since then, more than 35 million people have died from HIV and AIDS. There are still hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV in the world's developed countries, and millions living with HIV in developing countries.
According to the National AIDS Trust, which organizes World AIDS Day, over 100,000 people in the UK have HIV, and each year, 6,000 more people are diagnosed. Around the world, there is an estimated 36.7 million people living with HIV.
Numerous scientific advances have been made in the field of HIV/AIDS treatment, and most people who are diagnosed are able to maintain a normal and healthy lifestyle. Thanks to antiretroviral therapy (ART), it's not the death sentence it once was.
The world has made great progress in the suppression of HIV since its discovery, and with the help of the National AIDS Trust and World AIDS Day, we will continue to remain focused on the goal of complete eradication.
Learn more about World AIDS Day and support the cause by visiting worldaidsday.org.
Visit our blog "Fighting HIV on the Frontline in Mozambique" to learn more about the status of HIV in a country in southern Africa, Mozambique.
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