01/12/2025
The 1990's saw growing support for the gay community in Cumbria, As well as OutREACH Cumbria, voluntary groups and health care professionals worked on HIV/AIDS prevention and victim support - communities in Cumbria came together.
The following information is from the World Aids day page https://worldaidsday.org/about/
World AIDS Day is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since 1988, communities have stood together on World AIDS Day to show strength and solidarity against HIV stigma and to remember lives lost.
In the UK, more than 105,000 people are living with HIV. Globally, an estimated 38 million people live with the virus. More than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS related illnesses over the past 40 years, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.
Medical advances mean people with HIV can expect a long and healthy life and that we have the tools to stop HIV transmissions for good. But HIV continues to be highly stigmatised and misunderstood. At National AIDS Trust, the UK’s HIV rights charity, we are contacted weekly by people experiencing discrimination because of HIV, including in work, education, housing and even healthcare.
World AIDS Day exists to shine a light on the real experiences of people living with HIV today, while celebrating the strength, resilience and diversity of the communities most affected. It is a moment to inspire the leadership needed to create a future where HIV doesn’t stand in the way of anyone’s life.
If you would like to honour a loved one lost to HIV or an AIDS related illness, visit our memorials page on. https://worldaidsday.org/memorials/
