Sun Dec 01 04:31:14 UTC 2024: ## World AIDS Day 2024: ‘Take the Right Path’ to End the Epidemic
**NEW DELHI** – World AIDS Day is observed annually on December 1st to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, commemorate those lost to the disease, and promote the idea that people living with HIV can lead normal lives. This year’s theme, “Take the Right Path – My Health, My Right,” emphasizes the right of every person with HIV to receive appropriate treatment, care, services, and prevention methods.
The initiative, first observed in 1988 with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS, aims to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The concept was conceived by WHO public information officers James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter to honor those who have died from AIDS and to increase public awareness.
AIDS remains a critical global health challenge. By 2020, the disease had claimed the lives of 47.8 million people worldwide, with an estimated 37.7 million people currently living with HIV. The WHO highlights the significant challenge of providing care to those infected and preventing further transmission.
Symptoms of AIDS, which occurs after HIV infection weakens the immune system, vary but can include diarrhea, weight loss, night sweats, breathing difficulties, and infections like tuberculosis, herpes, and pneumonia.
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