World AIDS Day – 1 December
World AIDS Day on 1 December brings together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic. The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in high prevalence countries and around the world.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day and the first one was held in 1988.
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for you to learn the facts about HIV and put your knowledge into action. Find out how much you know by taking our online quiz: Are you HIV aware? Test your knowledge and awareness by taking the quiz and act aware by passing the quiz on and sharing it with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.
If you understand how HIV is transmitted, how it can be prevented, and the reality of living with HIV today – you can use this knowledge to take care of your own health and the health of others, and ensure you treat everyone living with HIV fairly, and with respect and understanding. Click here to find out the facts.
You can also show your support for people living with HIV on World AIDS Day by wearing a red ribbon, the international symbol of HIV awareness and support.
World AIDS Day Resources can be freely used by anyone
UNAIDS
For more information about UNAIDS and the 2019 theme “Communities Make the Difference” click here.
International Organizations working towards Getting To Zero.
The global theme for World AIDS Day from 2011-2015, as selected by the World AIDS Campaign, is “Getting to Zero.” Backed by the United Nations, the “Getting to Zero” campaign focuses on the goals of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths.
How exactly is the world affected by AIDS?
Here are some of the devastating effects of this disease.
Households
The most affected families are often those that do not have a lot of options for their means of living. With the death of males in the family due to AIDS, women and children are forced to provide their households the basic needs. This is a problem in countries that have many male-dominated industries – when the heads of the families get sick, women are forced to leave homes and work in industries such as carpentry or farming. In a lot of countries affected by AIDS, women are still viewed to be in charge of housework.
Act AWARE
Act Aware by supporting our campaigns!
NAT (National AIDS Trust)(UK) doesn’t just campaign on World AIDS Day – throughout the year we work on a range of issues affecting people living with HIV, including benefits, employment and human rights. We are committed to ensuring that the laws and policies affecting people living with HIV are fair, and we work to raise awareness of HIV and the importance of HIV education in the UK today.
- United States CDC information on HIV and AIDS
- Kaiser Family Foundation on HIV/AIDS
- Global HIV Timeline
World AIDS Day resources through the Global Ministries of the UCC and the DOC. www.globalministries.org
Resources to Download
Prayers
For World AIDS Day Prayer resources click here
Themes of Advent and HIV / AIDS
The traditional themes of the Sundays of Advent are hope, peace, joy and love. Many congregations light a candle each week and focus part of the liturgy on the concept for that week. Each of these words has unique meaning in a world where an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV or AIDS and an estimated 2.7 million more people are being infected with HIV annually.
Since World AIDS Day usually falls between the first and second Sundays in Advent, we will focus on the themes of hope and peace. If you are incorporating these themes into your preaching and/or your liturgy, consider asking yourself, at least on a Sunday close to December 1, how that theme relates to HIV and AIDS. Below are some reflections to get you started.
Hope
What does hope look like in an HIV+ world? What does hope look like for those in your community most affected by HIV and AIDS? For your outreach partners? For those in your own congregation who have been affected but have never been asked to share their stories or who are at risk for infection and don’t know it? Maybe it looks like:
Educating and Increasing Awareness
Educate all people, regardless of gender, age, race, or nationality on the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of HIV, as well as educating them about the hope after diagnosis, and the hope that undergirds preventative measures
Ask questions about HIV and AIDS in the places where your congregation already does outreach work, locally and globally.
Observe World AIDS Day with other people of faith in your community.
Commemorate World AIDS Day at your Sunday morning service of worship.
Advocating
Advocate for increased access to life-saving antiretroviral drugs.
Support targeted prevention efforts leading to changes in sexual behavior and a drop in new HIV infections.
Nurturing Acceptance
Create a “safe place” for persons who are HIV+ by asking your own congregation to share their stories about how HIV and AIDS have touched their lives.
Invite someone who is HIV+ to share their story with you and your congregation.
Taking Action
Pray for all those affected and effected by HIV and AIDS.
Honor a community organization who is working for the eradication of HIV/AIDS.