Development Education

On Sunday 15 May 2011, tens of thousands of people worldwide will light a candle on occasion of the 28th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. The slogan for the 2011 Candlelight Memorial is "Touching Lives". With this theme, the International Candlelight Memorial wishes people to remember how HIV has touched the lives of so many of us; and how international solidarity has a positive impact on the lives of people living with HIV and affected by HIV worldwide. Community-based organizations in some 115 countries will use the event to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses, to support those living with HIV and affected by its impact and to spur calls to action for greater awareness.

Traditionally the memorial is held on the third Sunday of May. In Bulgaria, it will be marked through the final stage of the national AIDS/HIV awareness campaign. International AIDS Candlelight Memorial was held for the first time in San Francisco and New York in 1983. Since then, more than 40 million people worldwide were infected.

The total number of registered HIV-infected persons in Bulgaria accounts to 1 333. The newly identified cases since the turn of the year are 62, out of whom 53 men and 9 women, aged between 20 and 68. Sofia leads the rankings with 21 HIV-infected people, then comes Plovdiv - with 12, followed by Pazardjik - 9, Varna - 6 and Stara Zagora - 4. Thanks to medical progress and achievements and good government policy in this field, fighting the disease has become more successful.