This World Aids Day (WAD) 2025 provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of education, prevention and treatment while contributing to a reduction of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
Dates: 01 December 2025
Theme: Prevent to Protect
Produced and published by: Public Health Agency, Communications and Health Improvement teams
Hashtags:
- #PreventToProtectNI
- #HaveYouBeenTestedNI
- #WorldAidsDay2025NI
Follow us to stay up to date with this initiative:
- Facebook @PublicHealthAgency
- Instagram – @PublicHealthNI
- LinkedIn – public-health-agency-pha
- X – @PublicHealthNI
- Vimeo – PublicHealthAgency
- YouTube – PublicHealthAgency
- Websites – Public Health Agency, Sexual Health NI
Access the event toolkit below for key messaging, ideas on how to participate and promote World Aids Day, marketing materials (including social media posts, digital posters and banners):
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Event objective and messaging
The toolkit below is available for download from Additional resources. It is designed to help individuals, community groups, advocates, and organisations actively engage with and promote World Aids Day 2025.
With a focus on raising awareness about the importance of education, prevention and treatment. This year’s theme encourages everyone use a condom, test and think prevention.
The Toolkit contains ready-to-use content (social media posts, images and posters) for Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, websites.
All graphics are available to download from the campaigns page on the Sexual Health NI website: Events and campaigns – Sexual Health NI
World Aids Day objectives
- To raise awareness of WAD and that HIV is a risk for everyone
- To raise awareness of what HIV is
- To raise awareness of importance of testing and encourage wider population to test
- To raise awareness of importance of Condom usage in Prevention
- To raise awareness of where and how to access treatment
- To raise awareness of how PrEP treatment helps stop transmission – if you are on effective treatment, you can’t pass it on.
World Aids Day alignment with Sexual Health Action Plan 2023-2026:
- Obj 1: Strive to eliminate new HIV transmissions in Northern Ireland and support people living with HIV to live well.
- Obj 2: Reduce transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
- Obj 5: Create a culture of openness about sexual and reproductive health and empower people with the information they need to make informed choices.
Promotional strategies to help you engage your audience and boost participation during WAD.
How to participate
Collaborate with partners
By supporting World AIDS Day, the public can help stop the spread of HIV—because prevention is protection and we invite everyone to take part in World AIDS Day by:
- Wearing the red ribbon to show solidarity.
- Know where routine and accessible HIV testing is available
- Booking a free and confidential HIV test.
- Know Your Status, Stop HIV
- Learning more about PrEP & PeP and other prevention and treatment tools.
- Sharing messages of support using
- #PreventToProtectNI
- #HaveYouBeenTestedNI
- #WorldAidsDay2025NI
Host or attend WAD events
- In-person: Host community workshops, panel discussions, information stalls/tables or outreach activities to facilitate open conversations, collaborate with healthcare professionals to raise awareness on the importance of using a condom, accessing testing and engaging in treatment.
- Virtual: Organise webinars, live Q&As, virtual peer talks focused on World Aids Day theme Prevent to Protect.
BHSCT
The Sexual Health Training Team planned World Aids Day events are as follows:
- HIV Awareness Session
Pre- WAD HIV Awareness Training for HSC Staff. (MS Teams live session, book through LearnHSCNI.net)
When: Friday 28th November
Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm - HIV Awareness training for Staff and Volunteers at Common Youth.
When: Saturday 29th November
Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm Monday - Annual HIV Event
Awareness raising and red ribbon distribution engaging with Staff, Patients and Visitors
When: 1st December
Where: Foyers of Royal Victoria Hospital and Belfast City Hospital
Time: 08.30am to 12.30pm
SHSCT
- HIV Awareness Session
Join the SHSCT Sexual Health in a session to raise awareness about HIV, reduce stigma and highlight services available and how to access them. This session is in-person
Monday 1st December 2025
When: Monday 1st December 2025
Where: Craigavon Area Hospital, Trust HQ, Board Room
Time: 11am-1pm - HIV Awareness Event
When: Monday 1st December 1pm
Time: 1pm
Where: Craigavon Area Hospital
Red ribbons will be distributed and promotion of sexual health services with the SHSCT area as well as raising awareness of HIV session for staff.
WHSCT
- HIV Awareness
In Celebration of World AIDs Day 2025, join the WHSCT Sexual Health & HIV Team in a session to raise awareness about HIV, reduce stigma and highlight services available and how to access them.
When: Thursday 4th December 2025
Time: 10.30am – 11.30am
Location: via Zoom – to register click on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1542333453879?aff=oddtdtcreator
NHSCT & South Eastern HSCT
- HIV Awareness
The Northern & South Eastern Trusts are delighted to partner up with Positive ~Life to offer communities the opportunity to avail of HIV awareness training. The session lasts approximately 2 hours and will provide a good opportunity to learn more about HIV, including prevention, treatment and HIV related stigma.
When: Thursday 4th December 2025
Time: 2pm-4pm
Where: online – to register click on https://forms.office.com/e/1RfyPwQpJc
REGIONAL
- World AIDS Day Conference for Professionals
The Rainbow Project – We welcome current and aspiring professionals in physical or sexual health, mental health and social work to our World AIDS Day.
This conference will include;- Up-to-date information on HIV in Northern Ireland including; rates of transmission, available preventative measures (such as PEP or PrEP), current options for HIV treatment and Undetectable=Untransmittable.
- Discussion about HIV stigma, its impact, and how you might be able to ensure people living with HIV do not encounter similar issues within your service.
- Opportunity to ask questions and listen to the experiences of both people living with HIV and those who provide services for people living with HIV
- When: Monday 1st December 2025
Time: 12noon-4pm
Where: MAC, Belfast
Register: Click on www.rainbow-project.org/wad25
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get free condoms?
- Where do I go to get tested?
- Where do I go to get PrEP?
- What is HIV and AIDS?
- What does U=U mean?
Evaluation and impact
- Let us know how you use the toolkit and about the social media engagement, hashtag reach, website visits, downloads, and event participation on your channels and platforms.
- Collect feedback from participants to measure awareness and engagement and send us some quotes.
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Social media assets
Social media graphics to be used during the WAD 2025
Ready-to-use content (posts, images) for Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, websites.
Hashtags to use
- #PreventToProtectNI
- #HaveYouBeenTestedNI
- #WorldAidsDay2025NI
Tagging:
X Facebook Instagram @healthdpt @commonyouth_
@PositiveLife_NI
@DepartmentOfHealthNI @commonyyouthbelfast
@TheRainbowProjectNI
@PositiveLifeNI
@department_of_health_ni @common_youth
@therainbowprojectni
@positivelife_ni
Suggested social media schedule (use the sample schedule below or tailor content to your audience)
Date Graphic Caption Thursday 27 November pm Click on image to download 
Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December we’re highlighting the vital role that simple actions play in helping to prevent the spread of HIV. Taking the steps of wearing a condom every time you have sex, getting tested and accessing treatment early can all help support your health and wellbeing and reduce the spread of HIV.
Find out more at www.pha.site/WorldAIDSday25
#HaveYouBeenTestedNI #WorldAidsDay2025NI #PreventToProtectNI
Saturday 29 November pm 
Treatments for HIV, such as PrEP and PEP, are available for free through all GUM clinics in Northern Ireland. Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December find out more about treatments and taking preventative steps to help reduce the spread of HIV.
Find out more at www.pha.site/WorldAIDSday25 www.SexualHealthNI.info
#HaveYouBeenTestedNI #WorldAidsDay2025NI #PreventToProtectNI
Monday 1 December am 
Today on World AIDS Day if you think you have been at risk of getting HIV, it is important to get tested as soon as possible. Testing is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV. With early diagnosis and effective treatment, most people with HIV will not go on to develop AIDS.
Find out more atwww.pha.site/WorldAIDSday25
and visit www.SexualHealthNI.info
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Posters, banners, email signature
Poster, Web banner & E-signature (digital only)
These digital materials were designed to promote WAD Digital materials for use of public, clinics, schools, universities and workplaces are available to download.
- Poster theme: WAD25 – Prevent to Protect
Download below:
Poster name How to use WAD 6 posters 
Optimised for sharing on social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X) Email signature (download) 
Add to websites, newsletters, email footers to spread the message. -
Press release
- Press release published on PHA’s corporate site news page on 27 November 2025 – www.pha.site/WorldAIDSday25.
- Additional resources
