Benidorm City Council joins in the commemoration of World AIDS Day

Benidorm City Council has once again joined the commemoration of World AIDS Day, which in 2025 is being celebrated under the slogan "Without public services, there will be no end to AIDS." Plaza de Sus Majestades los Reyes de España hosted the unveiling of a commemorative banner with a large red ribbon to highlight this important day. The event was attended by the First Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Health of Benidorm, Ana Pellicer; members of the City Council; and members of the Amigos Benidorm association, led by its president, Arnulfo González.

During the gathering, González explained to those present the support, activism, and prevention work that the association has been carrying out for 34 years with people living with HIV and their families. She also warned that in recent years there has been an increase in infections of both AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, which she attributed to a relaxation of prevention measures. She emphasised that "we must not forget that AIDS still exists and that, although there has been significant progress and treatments are available to make life easier for those affected, to date there is no way to eradicate this virus nor a cure."

On the occasion of World AIDS Day, the General Directorate of Public Health reported that in 2024, a total of 440 new HIV cases were reported in the Valencian Community (376 men and 64 women), representing an incidence rate of 8.3 per 100,000 inhabitants. In addition, 156 imported cases of HIV were reported (foreigners residing in Spain for less than three months), while the AIDS Information and Prevention Centres (CIPS) of the Valencian Ministry of Health handled a total of 17,752 consultations in 2024 and performed 8,360 HIV tests. Of these, 7,365 consultations and 3,461 tests were conducted in the province of Alicante.

Ana Pellicer, on behalf of the city, thanked the Amigos Benidorm association for their year-round support and assistance in this area and encouraged them to continue their work.

December 1st is commemorated worldwide as World AIDS Day, marking the date in 1981 when the first case of AIDS was diagnosed. Currently, it is estimated that there are more than 30 million people with HIV worldwide with access to antiretroviral treatments.