The first World AIDS Day was held on December 1, 1988, an initiative led by the World Health Organization that made it the very first internationally observed health day. The idea grew out of a World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention held in London earlier that year, where representatives from 140 countries discussed how to curb the spread of HIV at a time when infections were rising sharply worldwide. The day exists to remind governments and communities that HIV remains a serious public health issue, even though treatment and prevention have advanced enormously since the 1980s. It is also an occasion to stand with the millions of people living with HIV around the world and to push back against the stigma that still surrounds the disease in many societies. Communities mark the day with awareness campaigns, free testing and prevention drives, and educational programs in schools and universities about transmission and prevention. Landmark buildings around the world are often lit in red, and the red ribbon remains the day's enduring symbol of solidarity with people affected by HIV/AIDS.