Gearing up for AIDS 2012

WASHINGTON, DC—On July 22, the national mall became home to the AIDS memorial quilt and a lively rally asking international officials to keep the fight against HIV alive. The mall also served as a starting point for a march on the nation’s capitol led by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. These festivities kicked off the opening day of the 19th International AIDS Conference, and are just a few examples of the city's preparations for hosting the conference, which has not been held in the US in over two decades. This slideshow shows highlights of the march, the quilt, and the rally.

More from GlobalPost: AIDS: A Turning Point

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.