World AIDS Day 2018
KNOW YOUR STATUS
World AIDS Day is held each year on December 1 to commemorate those who have passed on, and to raise awareness about AIDS and the global spread of the HIV infection. It is also a time for reflection on what we have achieved with regard to the national and global response to HIV, and what we still need to achieve. In Canada, this date also marks the start of Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week.
The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 after health ministers from around the world met in London, England and agreed to such a day as a way of highlighting the enormity of the AIDS pandemic and nations’ responsibility to ensure universal treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS.
According to the UNAIDS Data 2018 report, an estimated 940,000 people worldwide died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2017. There were an estimated 36.9 million people with HIV around the world in 2017.
On a national scale, the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated there were 63,110 Canadians who were living with HIV in 2016, 86% of whom were diagnosed and aware they had HIV. This means that an estimated 14% of people living with HIV were unaware they were living with HIV!
Please visit the Nine Circles website for more information, resources and services: http://ninecircles.ca/news-events/world-aids-day-aboriginal-aids-awareness-week/.
Active Living, Population and Public Health |
