December 1 marks World AIDS Day. This year's slogan "Equalize" urges each of us to address the inequalities holding back progress in ending AIDS.  

Summary of the global HIV epidemic 

Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS-related illnesses, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history. World Health Organization (WHO) data on the global HIV response reveals that 38.4 million people were living with HIV worldwide, and around 650,000 people died from HIV-related illnesses worldwide in 2021. Among the 38.6 million people with HIV, 36.7 million were over 15 years old and 1.7 million below 15 years old. According to the WHO estimate, the prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15-49 years old across the world was 0.7 percent in 2021. 

Read more:

The prevention and treatment of AIDS – a long-term and arduous task

HIV in China 

According to the data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.05 million people were living with HIV in China at the end of 2020, and a total of 35,100 deaths were reported in the country by the end of 2020. Here, more than 95 percent of HIV cases were infected through sexual transmission. Men who have sex with men (MSM), elderly men, and students are HIV-susceptible among the HIV cases.

Bias regarding HIV and AIDS 

In the 40-year history of humans against HIV, lots of people living with HIV have been treated unequally and forced to face social stigmas. However, there are still misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted and what it means to live with HIV today, which may cause HIV stigma towards the people living with HIV. HIV stigma is the prejudice that comes with labeling an individual as part of a group that is believed to be socially unacceptable. 

In order to tackle the issue of HIV stigma, it is crucial to strengthen popular education on HIV, to talk openly about HIV and normalize the subject, and to ensure the sharing of the latest technology and medical progress. We must end the social injustices that put people at risk of contracting HIV, and we must fight for the right to health and ensure universal access. 

"We can end AIDS – if we end the inequalities which perpetuate it. This World AIDS Day we need everyone to get involved in sharing the message that we will all benefit when we tackle inequalities," said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima in this year's World AIDS Day statement.

Data editor: Sun Yiwen; 

Graphics designer: Mukesh Mohanan