World AIDS Day is observed annually on 1st December.

It is a global opportunity to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with HIV, and remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses.
This theme emphasizes that access to healthcare, treatment, and prevention is a fundamental human right. It also highlights the urgent need to eliminate stigma and discrimination so that every individual can live a healthy, dignified life.

Symptoms of HIV

 Common signs include:

• Fever, night sweats, and fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Rapid weight loss
• Recurrent infections
• In advanced stages, opportunistic infections and certain cancers

Risk Factors for HIV

• Modifiable Factors: Unprotected sex, sharing needles, multiple sexual partners, lack of HIV testing and awareness.
• Non-Modifiable Factors: Mother-to-child transmission, living in high-prevalence areas, partner’s HIV status.

Prevention and Management

• Expand access to HIV testing and counseling.
• Ensure uninterrupted access to ART for all who need it.
• Promote safer sex practices, including condom use.
• Strengthen prevention measures such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
• Address stigma and discrimination through education, policy, and advocacy.
• Support community-based initiatives that empower people living with HIV.

Governments, health systems, communities, and individuals must work together to uphold the rights of people living with or affected by HIV.

This World AIDS Day, join us in calling for sustained political leadership, international cooperation, and human-rights-centered approaches to end AIDS by 2030