In spite of the constant progress of the worldwide health system, AIDS continues to affect the population of the Earth. Today, there are about thirty-five millions of the people aged 15-49 are infected.

When is World AIDS Day in 2024? Let’s find it out.

History

HIV/AIDS is one of the most mysterious viruses that live on our planet. It’s difficult to reveal and impossible to cure. No one can answer certainly, where this came from. There are a lot of questions about the infection and going through them point by point we’re getting closer to finding the solution to the main health concern in the 21st century.

The scientists claim that there are several theories on the virus’s origin. It is believed to be the artificially grown disease that was intended to serve as the biological weapon. The more rational assumes that it is the modified version of the Simian immunodeficiency virus, characteristic of the apes. The human got infected through eating the meat of the diseased chimpanzee and it might have happened in the 20’s at the west of the African continent. The very first death caused by infection occurred at the end of the 50’s in Congo.

Aids Day Poster

The further incidents were noticed in the US and Sweden, primarily among the gays, and in Tanzania and Haiti, among the heterosexual men. Yet no one knew about that virus and the symptoms put them onto an idea of the unknown disease. It was widely announced only in the 80’s when after the thorough studying the American scientists called it AIDS. In 1994, they found the cause which was human immunodeficiency virus.

For a long time, it was believed that the first infected person, who gave a push to the epidemic, was a man from Canada traveling from Haiti to San-Francisco. Yet a bit later, the researchers revealed that it was actually a fifteen years old boy from the US.

The history of virus’s spread demonstrates the careless attention to that virus together with the inefficient information about the disease and social prejudices. After all, these triggered the today’s process of the virus’s domination.

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As for holiday, it was created in 1988 after the meeting if the heads of the health departments from across the world. There, they called upon the population to get socially tolerant and more aware of the new global issue called HIV/AIDS.

Now, do you understand that it’s really important to know when is International AIDS Day 2024?

Meaning

What does AIDS Day mean? It means getting conscious about the challenge we have to face and about the deaths it caused for less than thirty years of its official existence.

Everyone knows that it is not curable. Nevertheless, not everyone is sure about their HIV status threatening their and the others’ health. Some sources claim that the half of the infected is not aware of their disease!

HIV is the insidious thing without any certain symptoms of infection. Rarely, there might be some little alarms such as the fever, increased lymph nodes, red spots. However, a few of people would care much about those. In a while, the symptoms disappear and that means that the disease is developing inside the body.

HIV could go unnoticed for more than ten years. The medicine knows a lot of cases when the man has lived happily not even thinking of being HIV positive until it turned into AIDS. The organism infected with this one can’t handle with the diseases that are easily overcome by the healthy immune system. Even the flu could kill the person.

However, the diagnosis made in time and proper treatment can slow down the development of the virus and thus save the life of the infected. Regardless of what day National AIDS Day in 2024 falls on, test your HIV status at least two times in a year.

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Definition

This infection is surrounded by the myriads of the myths. One believes that it is the death sentence, the other is afraid to breathe next to the infected. The information about the virus is often derived from the doubtful forums and online discussions, not from the official sources. As a result, it affects everyone – both the healthy and HIV positive people.

The first myth tells that the infected person has a distinctive appearance. In fact, they are just like us without any suspicious spots, wounds, noses, and teeth.

The second myth claims that the infection might be caught in everyday life. Well, it is not aerially transmitted – during the coughing or sneezing or handshake. On top of that, the virus is quick to die in the atmosphere.

The third one is about being passed on through the saliva or tears. Okay, it can be in those liquids yet in the tiniest amounts. That’s why there is no risk of getting infected. Remember that it takes three liters of saliva to catch the virus.

The fourth myth tells that the swimming pool, sauna, and bathrooms are the number one enemies in the fight against the diseases. Once again, the virus can’t live in the atmosphere – it dies!

The fifth tale claim that children with HIV can infect the healthy kid while playing together; that’s why those “special” youths must visit “special” kindergartens or schools. The virus needs almost the ton of saliva to transmit into the other organism. All across the world, HIV-positive kids attend the same schools as the negative status fellows.

World AIDS Day events in Sydney and Melbourne

The sixth if the myth is about the mosquitoes. If that was true then the whole population of the Earth would be infected with HIV. The virus can’t live and breed in the tiny body of the insect.

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And the last myth: the pregnant woman with HIV will certainly pass it on to her child. Well, there is that way of transmission. Nevertheless, the correct treatment can lower the risks down to 2%.

What is the date of World AIDS Day? It’s fixed on December 1.

Traditions

Every country has its own way of dealing with the virus. Thus, the US makes great efforts to lower the rates of disease yet the numbers are still high – around one million of the infected. The authorities try their hard to make the antivirus therapy available for everyone which results in the low death rates. The population is well informed about HIV threat and there are almost no prejudices towards the infected people.

Germany is one of the most AIDS tolerant countries. The children learn what the virus is in the early childhood while the pupils are taught the sex and relationship education. The department of health issues developed a program that provides the significant reduction of the new cases of infection, the struggle against discrimination of the infected and the maximum help to people with positive status.

What can you do to make a contribution? Keep your status in check and talk all of the friends, colleagues, and relatives into doing the same!

National AIDS Day Facts

  • There is a special group of people called HIV dissidents who don’t believe that the virus exists. Among them both healthy and infected individuals. They are sure that HIV/AIDS is the plot of the governments.
  • The observance is annually supported by the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
  • The symbol of the fight against AIDS is the red ribbon.
  • The ignorance on the virus’s issue results in such phenomenon as HIV terrorism and HIV phobia.

Carve a space in your calendar, when is AIDS Day in 2024, and always remember the threat it poses to the mankind.

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