BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County will recognize December 1 as World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 

County officials say the day is a remembrance to mourn "those who lost their lives to the disease and supporting individuals and communities affected by HIV/AIDS." 

"Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 84 million people worldwide have been infected with HIV, and over 40 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses, with millions continuing to live with HIV today," county officials said. 

Though significant progress has been made in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV, stigma, misinformation and health disparities continue to present major barriers, officials said. 

Research in recent years has made the disease a manageable chronic condition for many, including via antiretroviral therapy and global public health initiatives. 

"World AIDS Day is an opportunity to reaffirm a shared commitment to ending the HIV epidemic, advocating for equitable access to healthcare, supporting scientific research, and promoting education and awareness to reduce stigma and discrimination," county officials said. 

Officials say individuals, healthcare workers, community organizations and advocates across the world "come together each year to honor those who have died, support those living with HIV and work toward a future free of AIDS." 

For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit the Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-aids/symptoms-causes/syc-20373524