Tuesday, November 10, 2026

The German Federal Institute for Public Health, the German AIDS Foundation and Deutsche Aidshilfe have launched their 2026 World AIDS Day campaign. Under the slogan “Together. Now more than ever!”, the campaign presents people who support those living with HIV and challenge discrimination.

The campaign also reflects a more difficult environment for global HIV and AIDS work. The organisations point to cuts in international programmes and to rising hostility towards groups particularly affected by HIV, including gay men, trans people and people from countries with high HIV prevalence.

Solidarity as the central message

For healthcare and pharma communications, the initiative shows how public health campaigns can combine medical context, anti-discrimination messaging and public activation. According to the organisers, around 100,000 people in Germany live with HIV. With medical care, most can live like other people, while stigma remains a relevant barrier.

The campaign motifs portray different forms of engagement. Examples include an HIV-positive activist raising support to bridge treatment gaps in Colombia, a queer activist in Uganda who founded an aid organisation after experiencing violence, a counsellor for HIV-positive women, a Ukrainian founder of an organisation for HIV-positive teenagers, and supporters from dentistry, aviation and church-based hospice work.

The recurring phrase “Imagine” is designed to encourage a change of perspective and prompt people to challenge prejudice, share stories or support aid organisations. The campaign therefore relies less on abstract appeals and more on individual stories with concrete options for action.

Channels include print, digital out-of-home and social

The launch package includes indoor posters, a leaflet, stickers and giveaways. In selected cities, the campaign will also appear on digital displays in public spaces. Social media activity runs under the World AIDS Day name on Facebook, Instagram and, for the first time, TikTok. Further information is available on welt-aids-tag.de.

World AIDS Day takes place every year on 1 December. Since 1988, it has served as a day of solidarity with people living with HIV, remembrance for those who have died of AIDS and advocacy for access to medical care without discrimination.