KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — People will fill Krutch Park with candlelight Wednesday evening, remembering people who lost their lives due to HIV and honoring people who are affected by it every day.
Knox Pride is hosting the vigil along with Positively Living as part of World AIDS Day. The international day is meant to honor people affected by HIV and AIDS, while also raising awareness about the disease.
Positively Living provides testing, treatment and preventive measures to help people living with HIV. It recently opened a new location on Ailor Avenue and offers many services along with health care.
"We assist the Knoxville community by providing services to our marginalized populations, those struggling with HIV and AIDS, homelessness, mental illness and LGBTQ discrimination," said Jessica Langer, with the Positively Living and Health Choice Network.
UNAIDS, a global initiative to stop AIDS from spreading, said that the could face 7.7 million AIDS-related deaths over the next decade. They said many of the deaths are the result of inequalities and urged world leaders to take measures to protect people from AIDS.
"UNAIDS further warns that if the transformative measures needed to end AIDS are not taken, the world will also stay trapped in the COVID-19 crisis and remain dangerously unprepared for the pandemics to come," they said in a press release.
Officials said 28.2 million affected people had access to treatment, up from 7.8 million in 2010. Officials said part of the rise is because of stronger community engagement as well as more robust and inclusive health systems.
However, those advances did not come soon enough for millions of people. Knox Pride is honoring them at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night, as part of its observance of World AIDS Day.
