World AIDS Day 2014. 1st December 2014
HIV/AIDS Timeline.
1981
The first cases of AIDS are detected in California and New York. The first cases are among gay men, then injecting drug users.
By year-end, there is a cumulative total of 270 reported cases of severe immune deficiency among gay men, and 121 of those individuals have died. 1982
Terry Higgins is one of the first people in the UK to die of AIDS and the Terrence Higgins Trust is founded.
AIDS is reported in several European countries, including the UK.
The name 'AIDS' (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is created.
Community organisations in the UK promote safer sex among gay men.
1983
AIDS is reported among non-drug using women and children.
Experts become more confident that the cause of AIDS is infectious.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establish the National AIDS Hotline to respond to public enquiries about the disease.
On January 4, CDC hosts a national conference to determine blood bank policy for testing blood for HIV, but participants fail to reach consensus on appropriate action.
1984
Gay men are asked to stop donating blood.
Western scientists become aware that AIDS is widespread in parts of Africa.
The number of people diagnosed with AIDS in the UK exceeds 100 and scientists identify the virus, which will later be known as HIV, as the cause of AIDS.
In October, San Francisco officials order bathhouses to be closed due to high-risk sexual activity occurring in these venues. New York and Los Angeles follow suit within the year. 1985 The UK Government commits millions of pounds to the fight against AIDS.
The first AIDS screening tests for use on all donated blood intended for transfusion is approved.
The first International AIDS conference is held in Atlanta, USA.
HIV testing is introduced in the UK.
The Pentagon announces that it will begin testing all new military recruits for HIV infection and will reject those who test positive for the virus. 1986
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is adopted as the name of the virus which causes AIDS.
In December 1986, Greater Manchester’s Chief Constable (James Anderton) remark that homosexuals, drug addicts and prostitutes who had AIDS were "swirling in a cesspit of their own making" received widespread criticism.
On September 17, President Ronald Reagan mentions AIDS publicly for the first time, vowing in a letter to Congress to make AIDS a priority. 1987 The UK Government's 'Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign is launched, with leaflets to every home in the country. The BBC and ITV screen simultaneous broadcasts of a public information film entitled 'AIDS – The Facts'.
HRH Princess Diana opens the first HIV ward in the Middlesex Hospital and is photographed holding the hand of a patient with AIDS, in what went on to be regarded as a pivotal moment around the world and remains an iconic image.
The number of people diagnosed with AIDS in the UK exceeds 1,000.
Needle exchanges are first piloted in the UK.
1988
World AIDS Day is established on 1 December as the first international health day.
A world summit on AIDS is held in London, resulting in the London Declaration on AIDS Prevention.
Emmy-award winning pianist, Liberace, dies of AIDS-related illness on February 4.
In July, the U.S. Congress bans the use of Federal funds for AIDS education materials that “promote or encourage, directly or indirectly, homosexual activities.” 1989
The first HIV awareness materials targeting gay men are produced by the Health Education Authority.
The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States reaches 100,000.
Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe dies of AIDS-related illness on March 9.
1990
In July, the U.S. Congress enacts the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
In June, the 6th International AIDS Conference meets in San Francisco. To protest U.S. immigration policy that bars people with HIV from entering the country, domestic and international nongovernmental groups boycott the conference.
1991
The red ribbon becomes the international symbol of HIV awareness.
The BBC soap opera Eastenders runs a storyline in which Mark Fowler, a major character, is found to be HIV positive, raising awareness of the condition.
Princess Diana becomes patron of the National AIDS Trust.
Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of rock group Queen, confirms rumours he has AIDS and dies the following day at the age of 45. 1992
The first combination drug therapies for HIV are introduced, which are more effective than AZT (Azidothymidine) alone and slow down the development of drug resistance.
Sir Elton John establishes the Elton John Foundation.
1993
Princess Diana organises the first 'Concert of Hope' at Wembley.
The UK Coalition of People Living with HIV (UKC) is launched.
Kenny Everett, a comedian and broadcaster, and Holly Johnson, the former lead singer of pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, announce that they are both HIV positive. 1994
AZT is shown to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for all Americans ages 25 to 44.
Derek Jarman, a film director, artist and writer dies of AIDS. 1995
The number of AIDS diagnoses in the UK exceeds 10,000, and over 25,000 people in the UK are now living with HIV.
A new class of HIV drugs are made available, paving the way for effective treatment in the future.
The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) is established. Comedian Kenny Everett dies of AIDS. 1996
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) - a non-profit organisation based in New York City- is set up to speed up the search for an HIV vaccine. New drug combinations are shown to halt the progression of AIDS, heralding the beginning of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (which will become known as ART) and transforming the lives of many people living with HIV. Anti-retroviral post-exposure prophylaxis (PeP) is recommended for health-care workers exposed to HIV through accidentally being stuck with a needle or splashed in the eye with blood. 1997
Deaths among people living with HIV fall dramatically following wider introduction of ART.
Around 22 million people are living with HIV worldwide, according to estimates made later.
Trials for an HIV vaccine begin.
As a greater number of people begin taking protease inhibitors, resistance to the drugs becomes more common, and drug resistance emerges as an area of grave concern within the AIDS community. 1998
On June 25, the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers those in earlier stages of HIV disease, not just those who have developed AIDS.
In October, President Clinton declares AIDS to be a “severe and ongoing health crisis” in African American and Hispanic communities in the United States and announces a special package of initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS on racial and ethnic minorities. 1999
The Government announces plans to offer all pregnant women an HIV test as part of routine screening.
The number of new HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals exceeds those among gay and bisexual men for the first time. 2000
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates between 15% and 20% of new HIV infections worldwide are the result of blood transfusions, where the donors were not screened or inadequately screened for HIV.
On April 30, President Clinton declares that HIV/AIDS is a threat to U.S. national security.
On May 10, President Clinton issues an Executive Order to assist developing countries in importing and producing generic HIV treatments. 2001
The first criminal trial for reckless transmission of HIV is held in Scotland and a man is convicted. At a UN Special Session, world leaders set long-term targets on HIV. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses the first nucleic acid test systems intended for screening of blood and plasma donations.
Drug companies abandon their opposition to the generic production of anti-retrovirals. 2002
The Global Fund is established to boost the response to HIV, TB and malaria worldwide.
Worldwide, 10 million young people, aged 15-24, and almost 3 million children under 15 are living with HIV.
During this year, approximately 3.5 million new infections will occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and the epidemic will claim the lives of an estimated 2.4 million Africans.
2003
NAT launches 'Are You HIV Prejudiced?', a campaign bringing attention to the stigma and discrimination still faced by people living with HIV.
The first English conviction for the transmission of HIV takes place but is later appealed.
HIV drugs become more affordable for developing countries.
Results of the first major HIV vaccine trial show promise – but are later shown to be ineffective.
2005
Anti-retroviral post-exposure prophylaxis (PeP) is recommended for people exposed to HIV from rapes, accidents or occasional unsafe sex or drug use. After two years of appeals and retrials, a man is given a prison sentence under English law for reckless HIV transmission. Royal Assent is given to the Disability Discrimination Act, giving legal protection against discrimination for people living with HIV from the point of diagnosis. 2006
Circumcision is shown to reduce HIV infection among heterosexual men.
The number of people living with HIV in the UK is estimated at 73,000.
June 5 marks 25 years since the first AIDS cases were reported.
On September 22, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release revised HIV testing recommendations for healthcare settings, recommending routine HIV screening for all adults, aged 13-64, and yearly screening for those at high risk.
2007
A case is reported of a San Franciscan man with leukaemia and HIV being cured of HIV after a bone marrow transplant in Germany. The UK Coalition of People Living with HIV closes. Terrence Higgins Trust marks its twenty-fifth year. Around 33 million people are living with HIV, according to revised estimates. Another major HIV vaccine trial is halted after preliminary results show no benefit. CDC reports over 565,000 people have died of AIDS in the U.S. since 1981. 2008
NAT marks its twenty-first year. A controversial Swiss study claims people adhering to ART have a 'negligibly small' risk of transmitting HIV through unprotected sex- a concept which will later be known as 'treatment as prevention'. On August 6, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release new domestic HIV incidence estimates that are substantially higher than previous estimates (56,300 new infections per year vs. 40,000). The new estimates do not represent an actual increase in the numbers of HIV infections, but reflect a more accurate way of measuring new infections. 2009
Newly elected President Barack Obama calls for the development of the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. On October 30, President Obama announces that his administration will officially lift the HIV travel and immigration ban in January 2010 by removing the final regulatory barriers to entry. The lifting of the travel ban occurs in conjunction with the announcement that the International AIDS Conference will return to the United States for the first time in more than 20 years. 2010
China lifts its travel ban for people living with HIV. The CAPRISA 004 microbicide trial is hailed a success after results show the ART-based gel reduced the risk of HIV infection by 40%.
Results from the iPrEx trial show a reduction in HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men taking PrEP. 2011
HIV 'treatment as prevention' is hailed as the biggest scientific breakthrough of the year by Science Magazine, as a major trial shows a 96% reduction in HIV transmission risk during heterosexual sex without a condom when a person is successfully responding to treatment.
On November 8, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shares the U.S. Government’s bold new vision of creating an AIDS-free generation, and speaks about the remarkable progress made in 30 years of fighting AIDS. 2012
NAT celebrates their 25th birthday.
The 19th International AIDS Conference takes place in Washington, bringing together more than 25,000 doctors, scientists, AIDS activists, politicians, philanthropists, drug company representatives, people living with HIV and heads of state from around the world. One of the main themes is the launch of "Towards an HIV Cure."
2013
Confirmation is published that a toddler has been "functionally cured" of HIV infection. However, in 2014, it was announced that the child had relapsed and that the virus had re-appeared.
A New York Times Article says that 12 people of 75 who began combination antiretroviral therapy soon after becoming infected may have been "functionally cured" of HIV according to a French study. A functionally cured person will not experience an increase of the virus in the bloodstream despite stopping antiretroviral therapy, and therefore will not progress to AIDS. 2014
More than three decades have passed since AIDS was recognised and its etiologic agent, HIV, was discovered. Extraordinary scientific progress has been made in understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing HIV/AIDS. Globally, new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS fell by more than one third over the past decade. Although both an HIV vaccine and a cure remain within the uncertain realm of discovery, recent advances give cause for hope that both can be achieved with further innovation. Added to our existing HIV treatment and prevention tools, an HIV vaccine and cure would help bring us closer to our goal of ending AIDS.