World AIDS Vaccine Day 2023: Date, history, significance and more

World AIDS Vaccine Day 2023 is observed every year on May 18 to spread awareness and knowledge about AIDS and HIV diseases and its vaccine.

World AIDS Vaccine Day is observed every year on May 18. The day is also known as HIV Vaccine Knowledge Day. The days aim to spread awareness about AIDS and HIV vaccines to cope with AIDS and HIV sort of diseases.

World HIV Vaccine Knowledge Day is an opportunity to show gratitude towards people who contributed to developing a secure and preventive HIV vaccine, like doctors, scientists, volunteers, and community members.

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It was first reported in the US in 1981 and became a worldwide epidemic. AIDS is an extended version of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

If people fail to tackle HIV at the right time, it develops AIDS, when the immune system becomes weak and can't fight other diseases and infections like cancer, pneumonia, TB, etc.

What are the causes of HIV?

The HIV diseases is a highly transmitted disease and could transmit in a body through:

• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal secretions
• Anal fluids
• Breast milk

What are the symptoms of HIV?

This is a very different disease, and in several people, it would not even show symptoms. Although around 80 per cent of people develop a set of flu-like symptoms known as acute retroviral syndrome within two to six weeks after the virus enters the body

Some common and early symptoms are:

• Fever
• Joint Pain
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• Sore throat
• Enlarged glands
• Sweating particularly at night
• Red rashes on the body
• Tiredness, etc

World AIDS Vaccine Day 2023: History

World AIDS Vaccine Day was first observed on May 18, 1998. The idea to observe World AIDS Vaccine Day was inspired by former US President Bill Clinton's speech at Morgan State University in 1997. Bill emphasised the importance of eradicating HIV.

In his speech at Morgan State University, Clinton set a new goal to develop an AIDS vaccine within a decade. Since then, World AIDS Vaccine Day or World HIV Knowledge Day is observed every year to spread awareness and knowledge about AIDS or HIV diseases and its vaccine.

World AIDS Vaccine Day 2023: Significance

World AIDS Vaccine Day is an opportunity to show gratitude towards doctors, health professionals, and scientists working hard day and night to develop an effective HIV vaccine.

On this day, several NGOs and governments from all over the world organise different events to spread awareness about the HIV/AIDS vaccine.