Event Category: Awareness Days

World AIDS Day was first observed in 1988. Each year, organizations and individuals across the world bring attention to the HIV epidemic, endeavor to increase HIV awareness and knowledge, speak out against HIV stigma, and call for an increased response to move toward Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S..

This observance is an opportunity to increase HIV education, testing, community involvement, and treatment among black communities. The first National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) was marked in 1999 as a grassroots-education effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in communities of color.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health leads this day. Other federal agencies also support this observance including The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).