December 1(Reuters) - From awareness campaigns to candle-lit vigils, people around the globe are marking World AIDS Day on Thursday.
Each year, people across countries gather on Dec. 1 to promote awareness about the fight against HIV/AIDS and remember those who lost their lives.
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People light candles to mark World AIDS day in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Czar Dancel[/caption]
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A participant lays flowers as he takes part in a ceremony to mark World AIDS Day near a monument in memory of AIDS victims in Kiev, Ukraine December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich[/caption]
The hashtag #WorldAIDSDay trended on Twitter as users posted messages and pictures of red ribbons supporters wear to mark the occasion, as well as of people around the world lighting candles for commemoration events.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), some 36.7 million people around the world were living with HIV last year.