World AIDS Day 2024: “Take the Rights Path” to End AIDS by 2030
World AIDS Day 2024: "Take the Rights Path" to End AIDS by 2030
Each year on December 1, the global community comes together to recognize World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and honoring the memory of those who have lost their lives to the disease.
World AIDS Day 2024 will focus on the theme “Take the rights path: My health, my right!” This theme underscores the critical role of human rights in achieving the goal of eradicating AIDS by 2030. It stresses the importance of tackling inequalities, stigma, and discrimination to ensure that everyone can access HIV prevention, treatment, and care services.
World AIDS Day, established in 1988, was launched by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO). The idea was conceived by two WHO public information officers, James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, with the aim of raising awareness and paying tribute to those who have lost their lives to the disease.
People affected by HIV, whether they are living with the virus or at risk, frequently face not only the health challenges posed by the disease but also the stigma associated with it, as noted by the WHO. Addressing this stigma and discrimination, while safeguarding human rights for all, is crucial for ensuring universal access to HIV care and dismantling obstacles to treatment.
World Aids Day is an occasion to understand that access to essential health services, including HIV prevention, treatment, and care, is a fundamental right for all individuals. It is crucial to uphold the right to health by guaranteeing that healthcare is accessible to everyone, free from discrimination based on HIV status, background, gender, or geographic location. While advancements have been achieved, significant barriers to access still persist throughout the region.
This year, the WHO is urging global leaders and citizens to advocate for the right to health by confronting the inequalities that obstruct efforts to eliminate AIDS.
While the WHO European Region has made strides in addressing HIV, there are still considerable obstacles in identifying and treating cases, as well as in preventing new infections.
To end AIDS, it is essential to prioritize and engage with all individuals living with, at risk for, or impacted by HIV. This includes men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and those in prisons and other confined environments, along with their partners.
