The world's attention has been focused by the COVID-19 pandemic on health and on how the pandemic has affected lives and livelihoods. It has confirmed starkly how health is interlinked with other critical issues, for example, reducing inequalities, human rights, gender equality, social protection and economic growth. The 2022 World AIDS Day theme is ‘Global solidarity, shared responsibility’.
Around the world, the pandemic has resulted in many people having to make changes to how they live their lives, exacerbating the challenges faced by people living with HIV, women and girls, and key populations, including in how they access life-saving health care. Over this period, the increased vulnerability of these marginalised groups has also led to a widening of social and economic inequalities.
COVID-19 has demonstrated that, during a pandemic, no one is safe until we are all safe: leaving people behind is not an option if we are to succeed in reducing health inequalities. Eradicating stigma and discrimination, putting people with HIV at the centre of care and focusing our responses on human rights and the provision of gender-responsive approaches are crucial to ending the colliding pandemics of HIV and COVID-19.
Engagement
Over the past 2 years the pandemic has dominated the world's attention, leading to a focus on health and how pandemics can impact on the lives and livelihoods of individuals. We have once again seen, through the lens of COVID-19 this time, how our health is interlinked with other critical issues.
COVID-19, like other health crises, has exposed the deep-rooted inequalities that are widespread in our societies. This health crisis, HIV and other crises have the biggest impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people. Lessons can be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic. We are doings things differently, we are getting better at being more agile in our responses and, above all, we are moving forward together. In responding to the pandemic, we have now become better – individually and collectively – at tackling public health threats.
Leadership and community engagement have been, and continue to be, key to our successful response to HIV – a united approach that has also been evident throughout our continuing response to COVID-19. There are many examples of community engagement and unity: in the case of people affected by HIV, it is paramount to provide them with information, appropriate services, a sense of social security and hope.
But such expressions of solidarity cannot be the sole responsibility of communities. Governments, faith/religious leaders, societies – every one of us – have to make our contribution as we strive to make the world a healthier and safer place, now and for generations to come. The decisions and actions we take now have the potential to either exacerbate the harm done to those with HIV or to promote a healthier, fairer and safer world. For nations to stand in solidarity with each other and share responsibilities requires us to adopt a global health view, and for all of us to generate new ways of learning and new ways of reacting to HIV and AIDS.
The world must come together to ensure that our health and care systems are strengthened. Investment – in all its forms – can strengthen health and care systems, but it is especially crucial to ensure that nurses and healthcare workers are fully provided for to ensure they are able to offer patients sustainable care and support.
Human rights
Taking a human rights approach will produce sustainable results for health. The HIV pandemic has revealed many divisive issues across the globe and within societies, whereby marginalised communities have been left behind. Accessing life-saving health services and goods can come about only when there is shared global solidarity. It is imperative to include people living with HIV in decision-making processes that affect their lives.
Although considerable progress has been made towards ending HIV as a public health threat, the HIV epidemic is not over and specific groups remain disproportionately at risk. Deep-rooted inequalities remain steadfast in all our societies. Bold, overt leadership that champions equality for all is needed now, as we call for the right to health for all and a robust and equitable global recovery, be it in response to HIV or to COVID-19.
Inspirational and effective leaders are those who are able to communicate their ideas, opinions and actions as they motivate, inspire and steer others toward a greater good.
There are opportunities to end the HIV epidemic forever – and these are being worked on – however, there is also a real need to continue to address the stigma that people living with HIV continue to experience. The HIV pandemic – like other pandemics – continues to hit the poorest and the most vulnerable the hardest.
Further Information
- UN AIDS. Equalize – World AIDS Day 2022, https://www.unaids.org/en/2022-world-aids-day
- UNESCO. World AIDS Day, https://events.unesco.org/event?id=657567946
- National Aids Trust. World AIDS Day: Rock the Ribbon, https://www.worldaidsday.org/campaign-no-event-poster
- World Health Organization. 1 December is World AIDS Day, https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-aids-day
- HIV Commission, https://www.hivcommission.org.uk