World AIDS Day marked with vigils and campaigns

From awareness campaigns to candle-litvigils, people around the globe are marking World AIDS Day onThursday.

Each year, people across countries gather on Dec. 1 topromote awareness about the fight against HIV/AIDS and rememberthose who lost their lives.

The hashtag #WorldAIDSDay trended on Twitter worldwide in Canada as users postedmessages and pictures of red ribbons supporters wear to mark theoccasion, as well as of people around the world lighting candlesfor commemoration events.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS(UNAIDS), some 36.7 million people around the world were livingwith HIV last year.