World Aids Day 2019 – Communities make the difference
1 December 2019
World Aids Day is commemorated on 1 December annually. The day is dedicated to uniting people across the globe to join the fight against HIV, to raise awareness and to remember those who have tragically lost the fight against HIV. The theme for the UNAIDS’s 2019 campaign is “Communities make the Difference”, which emphasises the invaluable contribution communities make in combatting the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The theme is in line with the National Wellness Campaign by the Department of Health called “Check Impilo”- a call to action for individuals to take responsibility for their health and wellness.
Communities undeniably form the lifeblood of an effective response to AIDS and an important pillar of support. According to UNAIDS, communities - including peer educators, counsellors, civil society organisations, people living with HIV and affected by it - play a critical role in ensuring that the response to AIDS remains people-centred. Community leadership and advocacy also play a vital role in breaking down barriers to service delivery in the fight against AIDS.
In keeping with this, UNAIDS has made an urgent call on communities to mobilise to ensure that the fight against HIV remains on the political agenda. Breaking down barriers in fighting this epidemic fall within the constitutional mandate of the State, which is tasked with taking active steps - within its resources - to ensure that access to healthcare is “progressively” made available to everyone.
According to the Global Aids Update 2019 (the 2019 Update), an estimated 37.9 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2018. The 2019 Update also worryingly highlighted that although substantial progress has been made in the fight against HIV for the first time since 2000, resources available for the AIDS response have declined globally. South Africa, according to UNAIDS, has the largest number of people living with HIV, with 7.7 million as at 2018. In 2018 alone, 240 000 new HIV infections were recorded.