Engagement and investment: two pillars to support nursing

In July, an important international conference takes place in Munich: the 25th International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2024. Most nurses, including those working in HIV care, could be forgiven for not knowing much about this key event because, traditionally, it has had very little nursing representation. Historically, these conferences have been momentous. For example, AIDS 1996 pivoted HIV treatment away from highly toxic but widely used treatments towards the much more effective ‘highly active antiretroviral therapy’ (HAART), or combination therapy. AIDS 2000 was the first major event of its kind held on the African continent (Durban, South Africa), and the beginning of a much better appreciation of the impact of HIV and AIDS in low-income countries. AIDS 2010 included the release of key recommendations from the International AIDS Society (IAS) around the need to start HIV treatment immediately on diagnosis.

At each event, held every 2 years, is a plethora of scientists, physicians, academics, politicians, funding donors, activists, and civil society. One positive development has been the growth of the ‘Global Village’, an open-access area outside the main conference, which in 2024 will include a wide range of diverse community-led events. But where are the nurses? Nurses have been at the forefront of the HIV response for decades, yet at this major event they will be scarce in the audience and even rarer on the podium. The AIDS 2022 report (IAS, 2022) mentioned ‘nursing’ a total of eight times, with none in an abstract title and only one describing a specifically nurse-led activity. Some international HIV nursing organisations, such as the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), will try to remedy this imbalance at AIDS 2024 and plan a ‘nursing zone’ in the Global Village.