The heartbeat of AHF’s commitment to over 2.8 million lives in care was felt worldwide on World AIDS Day 2025, as nearly 50 country teams joined communities to drive action and accountability in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

Marked annually on Dec. 1, this year’s World AIDS Day showcased resilience, solidarity, and determination by communities to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS. The advocacy activities celebrated progress and people who carry on the struggle, and honored those lost to AIDS-related illnesses. Music became a unifying force, with AHF World AIDS Day concerts reaching tens of thousands in Mexico, Zambia, and Vietnam, spreading awareness and calling for equitable access to HIV services.

Click on the photos to see how our teams' global actions inspired change, touched lives, and reminded the world that

HIV/AIDS IS NOT OVER.

In the United States, educational workshops reached military personnel and university students, while health fairs provided free, confidential HIV and STI testing and condoms. Candlelight memorials honored those impacted by HIV, and partnerships with faith-based organizations worked to reduce stigma and create more inclusive spaces for HIV education and care.

Across Asia, AHF teams united civil society leaders and government officials to strengthen collaboration around expanding the HIV response. Community-wide health fairs offered free HIV testing, condoms, and additional health services, while youth participated in interactive workshops focused on HIV prevention. Panel discussions addressed stigma within healthcare settings, and a vibrant concert helped amplify the message far and wide that HIV is not over.

Throughout Europe, teams delivered HIV testing and prevention education to vulnerable communities while working to reduce stigma through photo exhibitions, media engagement, and candlelight commemorations. Youth participation was strengthened through a soccer tournament paired with on-site testing, and custom World AIDS Day awareness postage stamps helped extend HIV prevention messages to thousands.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, teams highlighted the power and impact of peer-based interventions, engaging government officials and clinicians in conversations about community-led HIV responses.

Advocacy efforts called for equitable access to HIV prevention, including lenacapavir, while communities were supported through free HIV/STI testing, health fairs, sports activities, and workshops focused on the mental and emotional well-being of people living with HIV. That call for equity echoed on a larger scale as more than 30,000 people gathered for a World AIDS Day concert, uniting voices in support of fair and universal access to HIV treatment.

Throughout Africa, teams marked World AIDS Day with marches honoring those lost to HIV and standing in solidarity with those living with the virus, alongside peer-led prevention education and talent shows that amplified the voices of people with disabilities. Teams also delivered HIV testing, counseling, and condoms directly to key populations and celebrated the opening of a new wellness center offering free sexual health services.

Youth-focused workshops explored effective ways to reach younger populations, who remain heavily affected by HIV, while media awards honored local journalists for reducing stigma and promoting accurate reporting. Large-scale music festivals drew thousands and offered on-site HIV testing and prevention services.