World AIDS Day, first held in 1998, is December 1, 2014. As the first global health day ever held, Word AIDS Day commemorates those who have died and allows many to bring awareness and support to those living with HIV. The the universal symbol of HIV awareness is the red ribbon.
Globally, there is an estimated 34 million that have HIV and, in 2012, it was estimated that approximately 25 million people were living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa – still accounting for nearly 70 percent of the world’s total! As of 2012, South Africa has the highest HIV prevalence, with rates of averaging 26 percent. Cameroon had a 4.5 percent HIV prevalence.