In 2025, the Swiss Aids Federation will celebrate its 40th anniversary.
HIV/AIDS has transformed both world and Swiss history. Thousands of people have died of AIDS in Switzerland, and many lives continue to be affected by HIV today. For 40 years, Aids-Hilfe Schweiz has been dedicated to humanity, care, and the fight for equal health opportunities and sexual self-determination — particularly for people who are still denied these rights today. The Federal Council's goal of eliminating new HIV infections in Switzerland by 2030 is ambitious.
Anniversary Celebration on June 13, 2025 at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich
On June 13, 2025, Aids-Hilfe Schweiz celebrated its 40th anniversary with an interdisciplinary symposium and a jubilee event at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. Around 750 guests from politics, culture, science, and communities attended, including Federal Councillor Beat Jans, FOPH Director Anne Lévy, religious representatives Rita Famos and Joseph Maria Bonnemain, and politicians Jacqueline Fehr and Marieke Kruit. The celebration featured speeches, music, performances, and the traditional Quilt ritual as a moment of silent remembrance.
For President Paola Riva Gapany, the day was also a moment to look ahead:
“In the past, I thought: if one day we are no longer needed, then we will have done everything right. Today I know that sexual health will always remain an issue,” said Paola Riva Gapany, President of the Swiss AIDS Federation. “HIV remains central – but we have since broadened our scope, we continue to evolve, and we stay committed.”
