APLA HEALTH'S 42ND ANNUAL AIDS WALK LOS ANGELES RETURNS TO WEST HOLLYWOOD ON OCTOBER 18, 2026

With the theme "Defend Care, Demand Action," the walk spotlights the urgent need for affordable HIV care, prevention, and treatment

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, October 18 at 10:30 a.m., thousands of Angelenos will fill West Hollywood Park for the 42nd annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles, a fundraising event celebrating life, honoring those who have been lost, and taking action against HIV. Presented by APLA Health, this year's theme, "Defend Care, Demand Action," is a message aimed squarely at closing the gap between what medicine can now do and who can actually get it. Registration is now open at aidswalkla.org.

The opening ceremony will feature live music, remarks from notable activists, and booths from community partners, before participants set off for the two-mile walk through the Rainbow District. For many who return year after year, AIDS Walk is equal parts celebration and demonstration: a chance to honor how far the response to the epidemic has come and to bring much-needed attention to how much further it has to go. Last year's AIDS Walk raised $1.05 million toward the work that still needs to be done.

Tools like PrEP, PEP, and newer long-acting injectables have made HIV preventable. For those living with HIV, modern treatments can reduce viral loads to undetectable levels, effectively eliminating the risk of transmission and transforming HIV from a fatal diagnosis to a manageable condition. The science is no longer the obstacle, but cost and access still are.

"The biggest risk to decades of progress is the assumption that the work is finished," said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. "The medicine works. The real question is who can get it. For people with means, HIV is easily managed. For those who are low-income, uninsured, or pushed to the margins, it remains a crisis. We refuse to accept a system where staying healthy depends on your income or ZIP code. That's what this year's Walk is about."

For more information on AIDS Walk Los Angeles and how to register, please visit https://aidswalkla.org/.

For photos from previous AIDS Walk Los Angeles events, please click here.

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About APLA Health

APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles) provides comprehensive healthcare and vital support services to more than 23,000 people each year. Since 1983, we have remained committed to ending the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. Through eight Federally Qualified Health Centers across Los Angeles County, we deliver primary care, dental, behavioral, sexual health, and HIV care, along with food and housing support. Our Vance North Necessities of Life Program distributes more than one million meals annually, making it the nation's largest food pantry for people with HIV. APLA Health also advances sound health policy and raises critical support through AIDS Walk Los Angeles and the Best in Drag Show. Learn more at aplahealth.org.

SOURCE APLA Health