World Aids Day 2020
25 Nov 2020
World AIDS day takes place on the 1st of December 2020. This year the organisers are encouraging people to raise awareness and 'rock the ribbon'.
It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.
Thanks to the success of HIV medications, serious HIV related illness is now less common. The term AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is less commonly used and instead 'late stage' or 'advanced' HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) being preferred terms.
Data from the National AIDS Trust shows the UK met the UNAIDS 90-90-90 target for 2020. For the estimated 105,200 individuals living with HIV in the UK:
- 94% have been diagnosed and know they have HIV
- 98% of those diagnosed are on HIV treatment
- 97% of those receiving treatment are virally suppressed, meaning they can't pass the virus on
- This means that around 1 in 16 people living with HIV in the UK do not know they have the virus
Through awareness and fundraising, it is hoped that World Aids day will help to stop the stigma of HIV, provide support to those affected by or living with HIV and continue with the mission of preventing the transmission of HIV by 2030.
Further information on World Aids Day campaigns can be accessed via the following links: