President Boakai Declares December 1, 2025 World Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) DAY

The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has issued a Proclamation declaring Monday, December 1, 2025 as World AIDS Day to be observed throughout the Republic as a Working Holiday, in recognition of the immense contributions of the United Nations to combat HIV and AIDS.

The Proclamation calls upon all citizens, governmental and non-governmental institutions, faith-based and traditional leaders, youth organizations, civil society groups, and development partners to join the National Aids Commission, organize and execute appropriate programs befitting the occasion.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, this year’s World Aids Day will be celebrated on the Grounds of the Capitol Building in Monrovia under the global theme: “OVERCOMING DISRUPTION, TRANSFORMING THE AIDS RESPONSE,” and the National Theme: “MOBILIZING DOMESTIC SUPPORT, TRANSORMING THE AIDS RESPONSE,” with His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia, serving as Keynote speaker.

The proclamation noted that United Nations Joint Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has designated the 1st Day of December of each year as World AIDS Day, a time to raise awareness of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, to honor those who have lost their lives, and to show solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDS as well as those at risk. 

The proclamation also stated that Liberia has a generalized HIV epidemic with reproductive aged population showing HIV prevalence of 2.1% (2013 LDHS), with an estimated HIV population of 36,000. 

The presidential proclamation further disclosed Significant variations in HIV prevalence and exist between and within regions and counties. HIV prevalence is higher in urban (2.6%) than in rural (0.8%) areas. The South-Central Region has the highest prevalence of 2.8% among the five regions and Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa counties have the highest HIV prevalence among the 15 counties and together account for abhout 70% of the burden of disease in the country.

The proclamation further indicated that it is in line with the principles of creating awareness of the threat of HIV and AIDS, embodied in the policies of the Government, as adopted, are in accordance with those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Joint Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), to educate and keep the Liberian people aware of the threat of AIDS.

Since the diagnosis of AIDS in 1981, it has continued to pose a serious problem and threats to the health and wellbeing of the human race of which the People of Liberia are of no exception, the Proclamation added.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Liberia.