What is World AIDS Day?
Every year on 1st December, the international community unites to observe World AIDS Day. This is a day to remember those lost, to increase awareness and understanding of HIV, and to galvanise the response to the epidemic.
At the time of the launch of the first World AIDS Day in 1988, a person living with HIV had a very short life expectancy. But today, antiretroviral treatment means that people living with HIV can survive and thrive into old age.
This transformation is down to an unprecedented global response, thanks to grassroots activism, and the mobilisation of global resources and political commitment. You can explore the entire history of the HIV epidemic in our interactive timeline.
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