Los Angeles County Commemorates World AIDS Day 2024 – NBC Los Angeles

To commemorate World AIDS Day 2024, landmarks across Los Angeles County will be lit up in red on Sunday to demonstrate our collective commitment to ending the epidemic.

This Sunday marks the 36th World AIDS Day, and this year's theme is “Collective Action: Sustaining and Accelerating Progress on HIV.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health encourages residents to learn more about HIV and the free, low-cost, life-saving treatments and services available.

County officials said eight landmarks will be lit red.

• Paramount Pictures Studio Water Tower.
• Petersen Automotive Museum.
• Rose Bowl Stadium;
• John Ferraro Building of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
• The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles.
• Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center;
• Union Station in Los Angeles. and
• Queen Mary and Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific

According to DPH, approximately 52,000 people living with HIV live in the county, with an estimated 1,400 new HIV infections reported each year. A disproportionate number of cases are seen among gay men, African Americans, Latinos, and transgender people.

“This year's collective action theme is central to the spirit of World AIDS Day and our goals,” DPH Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “We are committed to working with multisectoral partners to eliminate HIV infection and build a future where everyone affected by HIV has the support they need.”

As part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, DPH provides more than 35 HIV-related programs, including outreach and education, community-based HIV/STD testing, linkage to care, intensive street-based case management, and clinics. We partner with organizations. based service.

Mario Pérez, director of DPH's HIV and STD Program Division, added that residents living with HIV can visit getprotectedla.com to obtain HIV-related information and services.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit organization The Wall Las Memorias plans to hold Noche de las Memorias to honor the lives lost to AIDS. This year marks the monument's 20th anniversary. The memorial features six murals depicting AIDS life in the Latino community and two granite panels with the names of more than 1,600 people who have died from the disease.

The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the lighting of 3,000 candles around the lake at Lincoln Park, 3600 N. Mission Road, followed by testimony from family members at 6:30 p.m. , there will be a fireworks display at 7:30 p.m.

Singer and 2008 American Idol runner-up David Archuleta will perform at 7 p.m. and share his thoughts with other young Latinos who are seeking the courage to live their lives openly and authentically. We share our journeys of discovery, identity, and faith.

According to The Wall Las Memorias, Latinos are more affected by AIDS than any other group in Los Angeles County and the United States.

Two events are planned for Sunday in West Hollywood.

At 2 p.m., the City of West Hollywood will host a World AIDS Day event at the West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center Respite Deck, 8750 El Tovar Place, adjacent to the West Hollywood Library. will be participating in STORIES:The AIDS Monument and APLA Health.

Then, at 3:30 p.m., Lavender Effect will host a launch and reception for the “Young Cities at War” exhibit, which will be on display at the foot of the Grand Staircase in West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. This exhibit focuses on the stories of diverse communities' responses to HIV/AIDS in the early days, and features stories of West Hollywood during the AIDS epidemic of the '80s and '90s.

This public installation celebrates those past and present on the front lines of the fight against disease and showcases the power of community.

World AIDS Day raises awareness about HIV/AIDS, celebrates progress against the disease, and honors and supports affected communities.

An estimated 88.4 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s. Approximately 40 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV, and more than 42 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the epidemic, DPH reported.

In 2023, approximately 630,000 people will die from HIV and an estimated 1.3 million people will become newly infected with HIV worldwide.