World AIDS Day

Russian stamp, 1993

World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.[4][5] Bunn and Netter took their idea to Dr. Jonathan Mann, Director of the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Dr. Mann liked the concept, approved it, and agreed with the recommendation that the first observance of World AIDS Day should be on 1 December 1988.[6] Bunn, a former television broadcast journalist from San Francisco, had recommended the date of 1 December that believing it would maximize coverage of World AIDS Day by western news media, sufficiently long following the US elections but before the Christmas holidays.[6]

In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children and young people. While the choice of this theme was criticized at the time by some for ignoring the fact that people of all ages may become infected with HIV, the theme helped alleviate some of the stigma surrounding the disease and boost recognition of the problem as a family disease.[7]

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) became operational in 1996, and it took over the planning and promotion of World AIDS Day.[7] Rather than focus on a single day, UNAIDS created the World AIDS Campaign in 1997 to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education.[7][8] In 2004, the World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization.[7][8][9]

Each year, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have released a greeting message for patients and doctors on World AIDS Day.[10][11][12][13][14]

In 2016, a collection of HIV and AIDS related NGOs (including Panagea Global AIDS and The AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa) started a campaign to rename World AIDS Day to World HIV Day. They claim the change will put the emphasis on social justice issues, and the advancement of treatments like PrEP.[15]

In the US, the White House began marking World AIDS Day with the iconic display of a 28 foot (8.5 m) AIDS Ribbon on the building's North Portico in 2007.[16][17] White House aide Steven M. Levine, then serving in President George W. Bush's administration, proposed the display to symbolize the United States' commitment to combat the world AIDS epidemic through its landmark PEPFAR program.[18] The White House display, now an annual tradition across four presidential administrations, quickly garnered attention, as it was the first banner, sign or symbol to prominently hang from the White House since the Abraham Lincoln administration.[19][20][21]

Since 1993, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation for World AIDS Day (see section #US Presidential Proclamations for World AIDS Day for copies of those proclamations). On 30 November 2017, President Donald Trump proclaimed World AIDS Day for 1 December.[22][23]

All the World AIDS Day campaigns focus on a specific theme, chosen following consultations with UNAIDS, WHO and a large number of grassroots, national and international agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. As of 2008, each year's theme is chosen by the Global Steering Committee of the World AIDS Campaign (WAC).[7]

For each World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the theme was "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise", designed to encourage political leaders to keep their commitment to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by the year 2010.[7]

As of 2012, the multi-year theme for World AIDS Day is "Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero deaths from AIDS-related illness. Zero discrimination."[24] The US Federal theme for the year 2014 is "Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-Free Generation".[25]

The themes are not limited to a single day but are used year-round in international efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 Summit, as well as local campaigns like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign in the UK.

World AIDS Day themes

Source:[26]

A large red ribbon hangs between columns in the north portico of the White House for World AIDS Day, 30 November 2007

A 67 m long condom sculpture on the Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Argentina, part of an awareness campaign for the 2005 World AIDS Day

1988	Communication
1989	Youth
1990	Women and AIDS
1991	Sharing the Challenge
1992	Community Commitment
1993	Time to Act
1994	AIDS and the Family
1995	Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities
1996	One World. One Hope.
1997	Children Living in a World with AIDS
1998	Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People
1999	Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People
2000	AIDS: Men Make a Difference
2001	I care. Do you?
2002	Stigma and Discrimination
2003	Stigma and Discrimination
2004	Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS
2005	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise
2006	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Accountability
2007	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Leadership
2008	Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise – Lead – Empower – Deliver[27]
2009	Universal Access and Human Rights[28]
2010	Universal Access and Human Rights[28]
2011	Getting to Zero[29]
2012	Together we will end AIDS [30]
2013	Zero Discrimination[31]
2014	Close the gap[32]
2015	On the fast track to end AIDS[33]
2016	Hands up for #HIVprevention[34]
2017	My Health, My Right[35]
2018	Know your status[36]
2019	Communities make the difference[37] Wikispore has a related page: Event:World AIDS Day 2019

• AIDS Awareness Week
• National AIDS Testing Day (United States)
• Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS
• World Health Day
• World Hepatitis Day
• World Cancer Day
• Day Without Art
• HIV.gov
• World AIDS Vaccine Day
• World Rabies Day

Wikimedia Commons has media related to World AIDS Day.

• World AIDS Day – UK site
• The World AIDS Campaign
• World AIDS Day Campaign – WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
• World Aids Day posters from the AIDS Posters Collection – UCLA Library
• The ILO's Getting to Zero at the workplace campaign