May 18 marks World AIDS Vaccine Day

CAIRO – 18 May 2022: World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Awareness Vaccine Day, is observed annually on May 18.

HIV vaccine advocates celebrate this day by promoting the ongoing urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV and AIDS. They acknowledge and thank the thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, supporters, and scientists, who are working together to find a safe and effective AIDS vaccine, and urge the international community to recognize the importance of investing in new technologies, as a critical component of a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The concept of World AIDS Vaccine Day is rooted in the May 18, 1997 initiation speech given by President Bill Clinton at the opening ceremony at Morgan State University. Clinton challenged the world to set new goals in the emerging age of science and technology and to develop a vaccine against AIDS within the next decade, saying "Only a truly effective and preventative HIV vaccine can reduce and eventually eliminate the risk of AIDS."

World AIDS Vaccine Day was celebrated on May 18, 1998 to commemorate the anniversary of Clinton's speech, and this tradition continues today.

Each year, communities around the world hold a variety of activities on World AIDS Vaccine Day to raise awareness of AIDS vaccines, educate communities about HIV prevention and search for a vaccine against AIDS, and drawi attention to ways that ordinary people can be part of international efforts to stop the epidemic.