World AIDS Day is a day dedicated to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have passed on. It is also a day to raise awareness about AIDS and the global spread of the HIV virus.
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.
There are 35 million people living with HIV globally. On a national scale, an estimated 71,300 Canadians were living with HIV, and an estimated 3,175 new HIV infections occurred in 2011.
Read CUPE’s HIV and AIDS policy at cupe.ca/hivaids to learn more about this issue and ways to take action in the workplace.
