Publish date: 30 November 2022
Dear colleagues,
We are proud to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December.
World AIDS Day is important because it reminds us all that HIV has not gone away, there is still a vital need to increase awareness, promote access to services, adopt innovations, fight prejudice and improve education.
More than 105,000 people are living with HIV in the UK. Globally, there are an estimated 38 million people who have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS.
Today, scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV in many countries and we understand so much more about the condition. Despite this, in 2019 in the UK more than 4,100 people were diagnosed with HIV—people do not have access to the knowledge or services needed to protect themselves and others, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people.
A lot has been achieved over the last 40 years, but there is still more to do to end stigma and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
I will be wearing the red ribbon to show my support and raise awareness on World Aids Day.
I invite you to join the #rocktheribbon campaign too.