World AIDS Day.
World AIDS Day is celebrated annually around the world on December 1, in accordance with the decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the decision of the UN General Assembly adopted in 1988.
This Day has become one of the most important international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, pay tribute to those who died from the disease, and celebrate achievements such as expanding access to treatment and prevention.
On June 5, 1981, the American Center for Disease Control registered a new disease – AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). This is a serious condition that develops in a person against the background of severe immunodeficiency caused by a long course of HIV infection.
For the first time, AIDS Day was celebrated on December 1, 1988, following a call for social tolerance and increased exchange of information on HIV / AIDS at a meeting of ministers of health from all countries.
This international day, celebrated each year, serves to strengthen organized efforts to combat the HIV and AIDS pandemic spreading across all regions of the world. Organized efforts are aimed at strengthening public support for HIV / AIDS prevention programs, organizing training and providing information on all aspects of HIV / AIDS.
Realizing the ever-increasing complexities of the HIV / AIDS pandemic, the UN formed in 1996 a union of six global organizations. Called the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS), the program brings together as sponsors of this joint project, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank.
UNAIDS supports long-term global projects on HIV and AIDS prevention; assists in the fight for human rights regardless of HIV status, assists countries around the world through prevention education, support for HIV / AIDS research, and work with programs to expand the international front against HIV / AIDS.
According to the organization, today 37.9 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, and a quarter of them are unaware of their status. But knowing your status is the first step towards HIV treatment and prevention.
World AIDS Day has become an annual event in most countries and is celebrated each year under a different motto that reflects current pressing issues. Although December 1 has been designated as the date for the Day, many communities organize a number of educational and diagnostic events during the weeks and days before and after the official celebration.
The symbol of the fight against AIDS is the red ribbon, and not a single action in this area is complete today without it. This ribbon was conceived in the spring of 1991 as a symbol of understanding AIDS. Its idea belongs to the artist Frank Moore. He lived in a provincial New York state town, where a neighboring family wore yellow ribbons, hoping for the safe return of their soldier daughter from the Persian Gulf. Ribbons first appeared as a symbol during the Gulf War. Green ribbons, similar to the non-inverted V, have become a symbol of the experiences of the Atlanta child murders. The artist decided that the ribbon could be a metaphor for AIDS too.
The idea was accepted by the Visual AIDS group. As the organization consisted of professional artists and art managers, the advertisement for the visible symbol of the fight against AIDS was very successful. It all started very simply. Here is an excerpt from an early Visual AIDS flyer: “Cut a red tape 6 centimeters long, then fold at the top to form an inverted V. Use a safety pin to attach it to your clothes. “