World AIDS Day 2022

Highlights

World AIDS Day is celebrated on 1st December every year
People around the world unite to foster awareness of HIV testing, prevention, and access to HIV care
The 2022 slogan to call for action against HIV/AIDS is “Equalize”

December 1 is commemorated as World AIDS Day to support a global fight against HIV/AIDS. The day also offers an opportunity to honor many of those people who died from AIDS-related illnesses ().

World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988, and ever since then, it has been commemorated annually to support the global end of HIV and AIDS-related illnesses ().

AIDS/HIV - Epidemiology
AIDS or HIV is an epidemic disease, a potentially deadly infection that can be prevented with precautions. AIDS/HIV symptoms manifest long after the actual infection occurs.

‘Every year, December 1 is observed as World AIDS Day to augment the campaign against HIV/AIDS and provide equal access to early diagnosis and treatment for people suffering from it.’
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World AIDS Day: 2022 Theme

The 2022 theme for World AIDS Day by the US government is “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV” to emphasize accountability and action for ending the disproportionate public health threat in communities posed by HIV/AIDS (, ).

Organizations like The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) urge everyone to take an action against the inequalities of HIV/AIDS - that delay the progress in ending AIDS. In regards to it, the slogan for a call to action is “Equalize” - which urges everyone to approach practically proven actions to address inequalities and help end AIDS ().

AIDS - Initial Theories and Disease Progression
AIDS was first detected in early 1980s, among gays, Haitians and black Africans. HIV is a descendant of a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus.

What is HIV?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an immunodeficiency-related infection that weakens and destroys (gradually) the body’s immune system (defense mechanism) against varied infections. It is generally measured by CD4 cell (immune cell) count ().

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection that gradually develops over the years of untreated HIV infection. As the patient becomes immunodeficient, they develop certain life-threatening cancers, or other critical long-term complications - opportunistic infections ().

HIV is transmitted through the exchange of various body fluids from infected people, which includes semen, blood, vaginal secretions, and breast milk. Hence, it can also be transmitted during pregnancy and delivery from a mother to her child. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) may help prevent the progression of HIV to AIDS ().

AIDS/HIV
AIDS is a life-threatening chronic disease. AIDS infographic includes all vital information you need to know about the disease.

Risks Factors that Contribute to HIV/AIDS

Partaking anal or vaginal sex without the use of condoms (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Presence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) like herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and bacterial vaginosis
Explicit usage of alcohol and drugs when engaging in sexual behavior
Sharing of contaminated syringes, or needles
Unsafe medical procedures like blood transfusions and tissue transplantation

Screening Acquaintances of HIV Patients Boosts Diagnosis
Using social and risk networks help identify people undiagnosed with HIV. A study in Ukraine identifies targeted, cost-effective approach to HIV testing.

Facts on HIV/AIDS

There are 37.7 million people globally with HIV/AIDS (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
PEPFAR World AIDS Day 2022

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Anyone may get affected with HIV, regardless of one’s race, sexual orientation, age, or gender (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day #WorldAIDSDay

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Although it has been four decades since the initiatives against HIV, there still exist inequalities in the most basic services like treatment and testing (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Equalize - World AIDS Day 2022

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So far, HIV is found to have claimed the lives of 40.1 million people, continuing to pose a global public health threat (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Despite the reportage of dedicated programs against HIV in Africa, younger women in the country continue to be disproportionately affected by the disease (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Equalize - World AIDS Day 2022

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Almost two-thirds of people (25.6 million) suffering from HIV in 2021 are found to be in the WHO African Region (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Almost 28.7 million people with HIV had been receiving ART in 2021 globally (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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It was found that over the past two years of global crises like COVID-19 have faltered the progress against the HIV pandemic, rendering millions of lives at risk as per data from UNAIDS (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Equalize - World AIDS Day 2022

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Access to life-saving treatment is only among 52% of children living with HIV (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Almost 70% of new HIV infections often prevail among marginalized and criminalized people globally (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine) is found to reduce the risk of getting sexual-activity-related HIV by about 99% (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day #WorldAIDSDay

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To achieve the global 95–95–95 targets set by UNAIDS against HIV, there is a need for redoubling our efforts that would further help evade the worst-case scenario of 7.7 million HIV-related deaths over the next 10 years (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Currently, there is no cure for HIV. However, early prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care for HIV may help people suffering from the infection live a long and healthy life (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize

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Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS

World Health Organization (WHO) calls for leaders and citizens worldwide to boldly join this global fight in ending AIDS ().

Public sector-level measures like increasing the availability, rightness, and quality of the services for HIV - treatment, testing, and prevention may also help reduce the burden of the infection ().

In addition, practices like reforming laws, and policies for HIV may also help confront the stigma against the people living with HIV, thereby gaining equal respect and acceptance ().

One may share awareness posts on social media and better utilize the technologies to raise alertness on HIV and its preventive options among people. Social media campaigns may include hashtags like #Let’sStopHIVTogether #WorldAIDSDay #WAD2022 #StopHIVTogether ().

The Global Campaign

The global symbol to signify the fight against HIV/AIDS is a red ribbon swirling around a megaphone icon. One may join the action or distribute campaign resources with the global icon of the red ribbon to mark the battle.

International organizations on AIDS, along with WHO, UNAIDS, Member States, and communities in Geneva plan for resilient action and solidarity from activists and global health leaders by taking a photo of a “human red ribbon” at the Place des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.

Health service sectors also join the campaign to advocate for early and easy access to vital HIV services, routine health interventions, and prompt care against HIV/AIDS. Efforts are also taken by ministries to reach the unreached vulnerable populations that include sex workers, prisoners, transgender people, and those who use explicit drugs.

Several such events and activities, led by both official bodies and communities, are to take place globally - rendering a sense of the kaleidoscope of resolute events.

This World AIDS Day, scale up the fight against HIV by removing structural, cultural, and societal barriers & stigma, and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS ().

References:

PEPFAR World AIDS Day 2022 - (https://www.state.gov/pepfar-world-aids-day-2022/)
World AIDS Day #WorldAIDSDay - (https://www.hiv.gov/events/awareness-days/world-aids-day)
Equalize - World AIDS Day 2022 - (https://www.unaids.org/en/2022-world-aids-day)
World AIDS Day 2022 - (https://pmnch.who.int/news-and-events/events/item/2022/12/01/international-days/world-aids-day-2022)
World AIDS Day 2022 Equalize - (https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-aids-day/2022)

Source-Medindia

World AIDS Day 2022 - Equalize!