World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, is observed annually on May 18. Each year communities around the globe hold a variety of activities on World AIDS Vaccine Day to raise awareness for AIDS vaccines, educate communities about HIV prevention and research for an AIDS vaccine and bring attention to the ways in which ordinary people can be a part of the international effort to stem the pandemic.

We at HPP are deeply committed to contributing to a HIV vaccine through our research and we decided to acknowledge this important day by engaging with the community of Umlazi, which is where most of our research participants are from. Umlazi is the second largest township in South Africa, and has some of the highest rates of HIV prevalence in the world. We therefore designed an entertaining and informative HIV prevention programme which was delivered at the Umlazi Coastal College and targeted youth 18–24 years in age, as this is the age group with the highest prevalence of HIV.

The event aimed to (1) promote awareness of HIV, (2) provide up to date information on HIV prevention, HIV research, as well as recent scientific developments, (3) provide mass free and confidential voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), (4) disseminate information about HPP and our research projects, and (5) encourage and celebrate the work of community members, health care workers and scientists who are working to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic.