Buildings Turn Red for World AIDS Day
To mark World AIDS Day and raise awareness about the ongoing epidemic, San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco Ferry Building, War Memorial Opera House, and War Memorial Veterans Building were bathed in red light Thursday, Dec. 1.
“This is an important visible reminder to people across our city and around the world that HIV/AIDS still deserves our urgent attention,” said Neil Giuliano, CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
“The knowledge and interventions we now have at our disposal truly puts the end to HIV/AIDS within our grasp. It is time for our country to seize on this tremendous climate of opportunity and invest in the prevention and care services that will end this disease once and for all.”
Everyday in San Francisco there are approximately two new HIV infections, and gay and bisexual men, particularly those of color, are disproportionately impacted by the disease.
Over 19,000 people in San Francisco have died from the disease and close to 7,000 people are infected with HIV annually in California. Of the estimated 1.2 million people living with the disease in the United States, recent data suggest that nearly three out of four lack proper care.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation advocates for early and expanded access to antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV, a proven tool to prevent the spread of the disease to other people.
The foundation also supports increasing investments in emerging biomedical tools, maintaining robust programs to address root contributors to new HIV infections such as alcohol and other substance use, and collaborating with government agencies and community partners to create seamless networks for care for people at risk for or living with HIV.
