The Duke CFAR Commemorates

World AIDS Day



December 1st, 2023

In this newsletter:

Let Communities Lead

World AIDS Day Events

Let Communities Lead

Every year on December 1st, the world unites to commemorate World AIDS Day. This annual event serves as a reminder of the global struggle to end HIV-related stigma, an opportunity to honor those we have lost, and a rallying cry to continue working toward a day when HIV is no longer a public health threat. In 2023, we mark the 35th commemoration of this important day.

Much has changed since the first World AIDS Day took place in 1988. The U.S. Government's theme for this year is World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit. Over the past 35 years, there has been significant progress in addressing HIV and AIDS thanks to advancements in medical research, increased access to treatment and prevention, and a broader understanding of the virus. However, there is still much work to be done to fight against stigma, counter misinformation, promote inclusivity, and address disparities in access to HIV prevention, testing, and care.

World AIDS Day remains as relevant today as it’s always been, reminding people and governments that HIV has not gone away. There is still a critical need for increased funding for the AIDS response, to increase awareness of the impact of HIV on people’s lives, to end stigma and discrimination, and to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV.

The UNAIDS theme for World AIDS Day 2023 is Let Communities Lead. The world can end AIDS, with communities leading the way. Organizations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response. Communities connect people with person-centered public health services, build trust, innovate, monitor implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable. This World AIDS Day is more than a celebration of the achievements of communities; it is a call to action to enable and support communities in their leadership roles

In this spirit, we invite you to join us tonight for an evening of storytelling and talks from advocates and researchers to fight stigma and lift up our community. The vision for this event was led by the Duke Collaborative Community Council (D3C) in partnership with the CFAR. Several of our D3C members, CFAR researchers, and others impacted by HIV will share inspiring messages and reflections on their experiences.

We hope you will take this opportunity to step out from behind the lab benches, computer screens, and patient charts to listen, support, and be together. All are welcome!

Friday, December 1, 2023, 6 - 8pm EST

St. Philip's Episcopal Church Parish Hall

403 E Main St, Durham, NC 27701

NIH World AIDS Day 35 Event: Achieving Excellence and Equity in HIV Research



Friday, December 1, 2023 | 11am - 12:30pm EST |Webinar

World AIDS Day 2023 marks the 35th anniversary of the World AIDS Day observance, as well as the 35th anniversary of the founding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research (OAR) and the integration of the NIH HIV research program. Over those 35 years, transformational research advances in preventing and treating HIV have marked some of the most significant accomplishments in science and public health. But this progress is not reaching all communities equally. Staggering HIV health disparities place a disproportionate impact of HIV on minoritized racial and ethnic groups and diverse sexual and gender populations.

This World AIDS Day, NIH will remember those we have lost to HIV/AIDS, celebrate the progress made in the HIV research response, and consider the research advances that can lead to the end of the HIV pandemic. Discussion topics will include the role of stigma in the persistence of health disparities, challenges in implementing HIV research advances, inclusion in clinical trials, the important role of community, and the next generation of HIV researchers.

Join us December 1 for this live, powerful discussion. Submit questions for the panel to OARInfo@nih.gov The event will be Broadcast Live on NIH VideoCast

The featured speaker is Harold Phillips, M.R.P., Director, Office of National AIDS Policy, Domestic Policy Council, Executive Office of the President, with perspectives from Bill G. Kapogiannis, M.D., Acting Associate Director for AIDS Research and Acting Director, Office of AIDS Research, NIH and Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 

Panelists will include the Duke CFAR's very own Tonia Poteat, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor, Duke University Health System. Dr. Tonia Poteat is a Professor in the Duke University School of Nursing, Associate Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core, and Co-Director of the Duke Sexual and Gender Minority Wellness Program.

Read all of the participant biographies and learn more about World AIDS Day observances at NIH.

Join the VideoCast.

Raleigh Public Viewing of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt and Panel Making Days

December 1-10, 2023 | 4 N. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601

HIV.gov Conversation with Harold Phillips

Monday, December 4, 2023 | 1:30pm ET | Livestream

On Monday, December 4 at 1:30pm ET, watch a livestreamed conversation hosted by HIV.gov. Harold Phillips will be joined by Caroline Talev, Senior Management Analyst in the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy and Alternate Designated Officer, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. You may watch the conversation on HIV.gov’s Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on OIDP’s LinkedIn page. The discussion will highlight federal World AIDS Day activities and emphasize the importance of reflecting upon those we’ve lost throughout the HIV epidemic.

HIV.gov also encourages our readers to stay up to date on activities, events, and other ways to recognize and participate in the global commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1. This year’s federal theme, “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit” urges us all to reflect upon those we’ve lost and celebrate the progress made in working toward ending the HIV epidemic.

Watch: HIV.gov Video with Harold Phillips

Watch HIV.gov's FYI video with Harold J. Phillips, MRP, Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, as he shares why we should pause and reflect on the importance of World AIDS Day. He also discusses a pivotal moment in our HIV response, stigma, the U.S. Government’s efforts to end the HIV epidemic, and creating awareness regarding HIV criminalization.