Sunday, March 20, marks National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NNHAAD) 2016, which is observed on the first day of spring. This year’s theme is “Hear Indigenous Voices: Uniting the Bold Voices of American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islanders.”

NNHAAD is a collaborative effort to promote HIV testing in Native communities and decrease stigma associated with the virus. According to an NNHAAD fact sheet, Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Alaska Natives have the third and fourth highest rate of new HIV infections respectively.

NNHAAD is funded and sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Begay Consulting, CA7AE, the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center, the Center for Prevention and Wellness, Council Oaks Training and Evaluation, Inc., ETR’s Community Impact Solutions Project and Florida Department of Health.

More information, including videos with Native communities, can be found at aids.gov and at the federal government’s Indian Health Service.