World AIDS Day 2024 is marked around the world

Sunday, December 1, 2024 

World AIDS Day 2024 is its 37^th commemoration since its first recognition by the United Nations in 1988. The observance, aimed at raising public awareness of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was marked by governments and non-governmental organizations around the world on December 1, with many making announcements in anticipation of the event.

The UN theme for this year is "Take the rights path" to end AIDS, emphasizing a human rights-focused approach. It is the last World AIDS Day before UNAIDS' 95–95–95 target for treatment as prevention is supposed to be fulfilled in 2025.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pan American Health Organization was launching a "Better with PrEP" campaign. In the United States, the government's theme for this year was "Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress". President Biden would host the AIDS Memorial Quilt across the White House South Lawn in a first, and on December 5 the White House would also host "Enhancing the Lives of People with HIV: A Quality of Life Symposium". In recent days, the Biden administration has also announced an expansion in the implementation of the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act. In non-governmental activities, the 35th year of the Day Without Art would be marked by Visual AIDS at the Whitney Museum in New York City, and the Latin pop star Ricky Martin would headline the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's World AIDS Day Concert in Miami.

In South Africa, the government's theme for this year is "Equal Rights, Equal Care". Deputy President Paul Mashatile, chair of the South African National AIDS Council, would lead the national commemoration at Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape. In Kenya, the World AIDS Day 2024 Half Marathon in Nairobi was hosted by Health Secretary Deborah Mlongo Barasa with a focus on men and boys living with HIV. In Nigeria, the government's theme this year was a focus on ending AIDS among the country's children by 2030. In Ghana, activist efforts this year have focused on securing government resourcing for the National HIV/AIDS Fund, which was originally supposed to have been established in 2016 under the Ghana AIDS Commission.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an agency of the European Union, was marking the date by releasing the latest HIV surveillance data for the WHO European Region. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Starmer has pledged to end all new HIV transmission in England by 2030 to be supported by new funding for domestic opt-out testing, and as well expanded funding for international health services. In Central and Eastern Europe, those countries that are non-EU such as Bosnia and Herzegovina were mostly limiting their activities to informative events, counseling and free testing activities organized in major cities.

Global:

• "We are closer than ever to a future without HIV – our leaders must rise to the occasion" — The Daily Telegraph, 28 November 2024
• "World AIDS Day report 2024: take the rights path" — UNAIDS, 26 November 2024
• "2024 World AIDS Day" — UNAIDS, November 2024
• "2024 global AIDS report — The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads" — UNAIDS, 22 July 2024

Americas:

• "On World AIDS Day, PAHO launches Better with PrEP campaign" — Pan American Health Organization, 28 November 2024
• Christopher Wiggins. "President Biden to host AIDS Memorial Quilt on White House South Lawn for World AIDS Day" — The Advocate, 28 November 2024
• "Biden-Harris Administration Policy Expands Access to Life-Saving Organs for People with HIV" — Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, 26 November 2024
• "White House to Convene Symposium on Quality of Life for People with HIV" — Office of National AIDS Policy, 25 November 2024
• Erkki Forster. "Ricky Martin to headline World AIDS Day concert in Miami" — Los Angeles Blade, 25 November 2024
• Matt Tracy. "World AIDS Day events planned in New York City" — Gay City News, 22 November 2024
• "World AIDS Day" — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 2024
• "World AIDS Day 2024" — National AIDS Memorial, November 2024
• "World AIDS Day 2024: Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress" — Office of National AIDS Policy, 4 October 2024

Africa:

• "World AIDS Day 2024 Half Marathon Launched to Accelerate Kenya’s Fight Against HIV/AIDS" — Ministry of Health (Kenya), 30 October 2024
• Eva Kiwango. "SA’s commitment to ending Aids by 2030 demands addressing stigma at all levels" — Daily Maverick, 28 November 2024
• Salim S. Abdool Karim and Nikita Devnarain. "South Africa’s AIDS response: Progress, challenges, and opportunities" — Spotlight, 28 November 2024
• Sola Ogundipe. "Nigeria steps up efforts to end AIDS by 2030" — Vanguard (Nigeria), 28 November 2024
• "Deputy President Mashatile to Lead the Official Commemoration of World AIDS Day in the Eastern Cape" — Presidency of South Africa, 26 November 2024
• Benjamin A. Commey. "World AIDS Day: Stakeholders urge operationalisation of National HIV/AIDS Fund" — Ghana News Agency, 25 November 2024
• "World Aids Day 2024 - Inequality Hindering Progress" — allAfrica, November 2024

Europe:

• "Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!" — WHO European Region, 1 December 2024
• "Anonimno i povjerljivo! Povodom Svjetskog dana borbe protiv AIDS besplatno testiranje na HIV" — BL PORTAL, November 30, 2024
• "Svjetski dan borbe protiv HIV-a i AIDS-a bit će obilježen u Mostaru" — Dnevni avaz, November 30, 2024
• Hans Henri P. Kluge and Robb Butler. "Why are People Still Dying Needlessly of AIDS? Politics – not Science – is to Blame" — Health Policy Watch, 29 November 2024
• "'I am determined this generation will be the one that ends new cases of HIV within England by 2030', Prime Minister said ahead of World AIDS Day" — Prime Minister's Office (United Kingdom), 29 November 2024
• "Under- and late diagnosis of HIV is holding back progress to end AIDS in the European Region" — WHO European Region, 28 November 2024
• "HIV/AIDS in the WHO European Region" — WHO European Region, 28 November 2024
• "World AIDS Day 2024" — European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 28 November 2024
• "L’Actu vue par Remaides : «1er décembre 2024 : demandez le programme ! »" — aides.org, November 28, 2024
• "Prvi decembar, dan borbe protiv HIV/AIDS: Aktivnosti KB Zenica" — zenica blog, November 28, 2024

Asia:

• Saima Wazed. "Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!" — WHO South-East Asia Region, 1 December 2024