On Dec. 1, the National Naval Medical Center will commemorate World Aids Day to raise awareness for HIV⁄AIDS prevention and to remember those who have died from the disease.

NNMC has recognized this worldwide campaign for several years, said Jamie Stockus, a social worker who works in the hospital’s Infectious Disease Clinic. This year, there is another cause for hope. Researchers recently announced promising results for a potential vaccine to prevent HIV, he said.

The U.S. Military HIV Research Program, based at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, coordinated the RV-144 study, Stockus said. Through the trial, researchers developed an AIDS vaccine with a 31 percent success rate in preventing HIV.

Though promising, resear-chers still have many great strides to take. Until there is a cure, he said, the most effective way to prevent HIV is by providing information and raising awareness.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Gwen Collver, who works in Preventative Medicine at NNMC, said the command is keeping its staff and service members informed about the consequences of unprotected sex and making sure Sailors are tested for HIV annually.

Service members are not only tested during their birth month, but also during their annual Physical Health Assessment, she said. They are also tested before they transfer or deploy.

To help keep staff members informed, Collver said, a Web site is in the works to provide updated HIV⁄AIDS resources and links. In addition, there is focus on putting out informational brochures throughout the command, she said.

On World Aids Day, there will be a booth set up on Main Street where staff members can pick up condoms and pamphlets of information, she said.

HIV⁄AIDS continues to be a growing concern, as rates in the Baltimore⁄D.C. area are amongst the highest in the country, Stockus said. Anyone who thinks they might be at risk should talk to their health care provider.

‘‘It’s all about keeping the troops healthy and alert to the endemic in this area,” Collver said. ‘‘Get yourself and your partner tested, make sure you see your results.”