World AIDS Day – December 1st is an important day for community health centers, friends, families, and communities across New York State who have helped lead the effort to end the HIV epidemic. It is a day to honor the lives of those who have lost their lives to the AIDS epidemic, to celebrate the lives who live with and/or or are affected by HIV/AIDS, and to advocate for increased access to HIV/AIDS care and services.
Too many loved ones have been lost to the AIDS pandemic and many people are still living with HIV/AIDS today. According to UNAIDS, in 2020, 37.7 million people globally were living with HIV and 680,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses. We know how to eliminate AIDS, we know how to control HIV, and we have many options available for keeping individuals negative. But we cannot end the epidemic without addressing the inequities that keeps the epidemic persisting. That’s why the Federal 340B drug discount program is so critical to ending the HIV epidemic. 340B savings has allowed community health centers to fund life-saving HIV/AIDS services for everyone regardless of immigration status, insurance coverage, or ability to pay. Truly, 340B is helping to ameliorate many of the inequities that prevent individuals from accessing HIV/AIDS services and care imperative to living a full and healthy life.
In tandem, we must also erase the stigma that prevent people living with HIV/AIDS from living thriving and empowered lives. By raising public awareness, educating our communities, and advocating for the right of individuals living with HIV/AIDS to live a life free from fear, we can erase the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
We encourage you to check out the resources below to learn more about World AIDS Day and what you can do to help educate and raise awareness on HIV/AIDS. Together, we can end the epidemic!
World AIDS Day Events, Toolkits, and Resources
- 23rd Annual 2021 World AIDS Day Event and Ending the Epidemic Summit: The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute (NYSDOH AI), is hosting the 23rd Annual World AIDS Day (WAD) Event on December 1st and the 2021 Ending the Epidemic (ETE) Summit on November 30th and December 2nd. The theme for this year’s ETE Summit and WAD events is "Overcoming Pandemics | ETE and COVID-19" and "From the Ground Up: Over 40 years of Public Health" respectively. The goal is to highlight many of the important stories and testimonies of determination, courage, hope, and progress that New Yorkers continue to demonstrate each day, despite the many challenges 2020 and 2021 presented. Click here to register.
- NYS Department of Health (DOH): The NYS DOH AIDS Institute coordinates state programs, services and activities relating to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and hepatitis C. Check out their website for information and resources.
- Ending the AIDS Epidemic in New York State: New York State announced a three-point plan in 2014 to move us closer to the end of the AIDS epidemic in New York State. Visit their website to learn about what NYS is doing to end the AIDS epidemic.
- Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA): Join HRSA for their 2021 World AIDS Day Virtual Event on Wednesday, December 1, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET. The event will highlight stories from people with lived experience through storytelling and artistic expression. The event is open to all HRSA recipients, subrecipients, stakeholders, and federal employees. @HRSAgov will be post social media messages that acknowledge World AIDS Day using #HRSAHonorsWAD. HRSA is encouraging everyone to like, retweet, and repost and to post on social media using #HRSAHonorsWAD to raise awareness.
- CDC: For World AIDS Day, the CDC is pleased to introduce #MyVoiceMyAction, an initiative highlighting that every voice and every action impacts the global effort to stop the HIV epidemic. Make your voice heard and share others’ stories using the #MyVoiceMyAction World AIDS Day Toolkit. Share posts and images from the toolkit on social media tagging #WorldAIDSDay #WAD2021 and #StopHIVTogether on December 1st and the days leading up to the observance. You can also raise awareness of HIV and provide information on stigma, testing, prevention, and treatment using the Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign resources and the Let’s Stop HIV Together social media toolkit.
- HIV.Gov: The U.S. Government's theme for the 2021 observance of World AIDS Day is Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone's Voice. Follow the HIV.gov blog for updates on federal activities honoring this observance and check out HIV.gov’s Guide to Planning Awareness Day Activities.
- World Health Organization (WHO): WHO’s theme for World AIDS Day 2021 is “End inequalities. End AIDS.” With a special focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners are highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services. On World AIDS Day, WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally to confront the inequalities that drive AIDS and to reach people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services. Check out WHO’s World AIDS Day toolkit which contains campaign materials, resources, and more.
- UNAIDS: This World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to end the inequalities that drive AIDS and other pandemics around the world. Check out UNAIDS’ World AIDS Day toolkit for resources to raise awareness and go to their website to learn more about how UNAIDS is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
HRSA’s FY 2022 Ending the HIV Epidemic – Primary Care HIV Prevention (PCHP) funding opportunity (HRSA-22-104). Eligible health centers should apply. As a reminder, FY 2022 PCHP applications are due in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 14, and in the Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) by 5 p.m. ET on January 12.
Technical assistance (TA) resources are available on the PCHP technical assistance webpage. For eligibility questions, contact the PCHP Technical Assistance Team.