Marking World AIDS Day 2025 across the North East and North Cumbria

Living in the North East and Cumbria? Keep your eyes open for buildings and landmarks lit up red to mark World AIDS Day 2025.

This World AIDS Day (1 December), communities across North East and North Cumbria are coming together to celebrate the developments in HIV treatments whilst also remembering those whose lives have been lost to the virus.

Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers faced by people living with HIV and everyone has a role to play in challenging harmful stereotypes and misconceptions, by learning the facts, talking openly, and challenging harmful ideas.

World AIDS Day is a good time to highlight what still needs to be done and a call to action for solidarity to fight stigma, support new medical breakthroughs, as well as promoting HIV testing and awareness. Let’s make this World AIDS Day a powerful reminder that by working together, we can truly make a difference and encourage people to ‘get tested to get treated.'

World AIDS Day highlights the importance for funding, education, and action to achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic worldwide.

Key Objectives:
  1. Increase awareness and understanding 
  2. Promote testing and early diagnosis
  4. Challenge stigma and misconceptions 
  5. Support and solidarity

WHO WE ARE

Eyes Open are a North East and Cumbria based regional steering group who raise awareness of HIV throughout the year, thanks to financial and other support from our partners and funders. The committee in it's present incarnation has been in existence since 2003 when the very first art exhibition took place at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle upon Tyne. Work to raise awareness of HIV and stigma has taken place in the region for a lot longer and we carry it forward with many thanks to all those involved, past and present.

WHAT WE DO

Throughout the year Eyes Open work around the region in various settings to promote the awareness of HIV and to remove associated stigma. We work throughout the year to make sure HIV remains on the agenda. Past campaigns have included art competitions, candle-lit vigils, lantern making / parades,  workshops, awareness raising marches, conferences, online campaigns, HIV resources and more. Check out our campaigns page for more information.

North East and North Cumbria HIV Action Plan

Eyes Open work alongside the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Regional HIV Steering Group,  established to provide system-wide support and accountability to ensure progress towards ending HIV transmission and HIV-related deaths across the North East of England and North Cumbria, as outlined in the national HIV Action Plan (2022-2025).

  • The North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Regional HIV Steering Group will provide strategic oversight to working groups, dedicated to each of the four themes and objectives of the national plan: Prevention; Testing; Treatment and Care; Quality of Life and Stigma.
  • For further information about the Regional HIV Steering Group and the regional HIV action Plan contact Dawn.phillips@ukhsa.gov.uk

NENC HIV Action Plan 2024/25

(Action plan released Dec 2024)

In the UK we now have medications that can treat HIV, which allows people to live a near normal life expectancy, which is so different to the life expectancy people were told in the 80’s and early 90’s, but still today there is a lot of ignorance, stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV.

 If a person adheres to HIV medication, the virus in the blood reduces to undetectable levels. We can now say with complete confidence that people, living with HIV and on effective treatment, can no longer pass on HIV to others, even when sex is unprotected.

This is called U=U which stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable. An awareness campaign has been running for a number of years now, but still the message hasn’t got to everyone, for more info please visit: https://www.tht.org.uk/our-work/our-campaigns/cant-pass-it-on

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