Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Landmarks across Los Angeles County were lit up in red Dec. 1 to commemorate World AIDS Day 2024, representing a collective commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic.
It marked the 36th annual World AIDS Day celebration with this year’s theme being “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress.”
The L.A. County Department of Public Health encourages residents to learn more about HIV and available free, low-cost and life-saving medication and services.
County officials said eight landmarks were lit in red to mark the occasion. They included Paramount Pictures’ Studio Water Tower, Petersen Automotive Museum, the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s John Ferraro Building, the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles, Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, Los Angeles Union Station and the Queen Mary, and the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
About 52,000 people with HIV live in the county, and an estimated 1,400 new HIV infections are reported each year, according to the Department of Public Health. A disproportionate number of cases is seen among gay men, African Americans, Latinos and transgender individuals.
“This year’s theme of collective action is central to the spirit of World AIDS Day, and to our goals,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Department of Public Health, in a statement. “We are committed to working with multisector partners to end transmission of HIV and create a future where every person affected by HIV receives the support they need.”
As part of its Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, the Department of Public Health provides more than 35 HIV-related programs and partners with organizations for outreach and education, community-based HIV/STD testing, linkage to care, intensive street-based case management, and clinic-based services.
Mario Pérez, director of the Department of Public Health’s division of HIV and STD programs, added that residents with HIV can visit getprotectedla.com for HIV-related information and services.
The Wall Las Memorías, a nonprofit, hosted its annual Noche de las Memorías to honor the lives lost to AIDS. This year marks the 20th anniversary of its monument in Lincoln Park, which features six murals depicting life with AIDS in the Latino community and two granite panels that contain more than 1,600 names of people who died from the disease.
Two events were held in West Hollywood. The city took part in a panel discussion on AIDS which was followed by a reception for an exhibit entitled “Young City at War” under the grand staircase at the park.
The exhibit features stories from West Hollywood during the AIDS epidemic of the 80s and 90s, focusing on the story of a diverse community’s response to the early days of HIV/AIDS.
The public installation honors people past and present who were at the forefront of the fight against the disease and showcases the power of community, a city statement said.
Globally, an estimated 88.4 million people have acquired HIV since the start of the epidemic in the early 1980s. Almost 40 million people around the world are currently living with HIV, and more than 42 million people have died from AIDS-related illness since the start of the epidemic, the Department of Public Health reported.
In 2023, worldwide, approximately 630,000 people died from HIV and an estimated 1.3 million people became newly infected with HIV.
