World AIDS Day 2024; You can do something about HIV and AIDS

Each year, on 1 December, people around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

The UNAIDS Theme for this years World AIDS Day is ‘Take the Rights Path’ signifying the barriers experienced by many who are marginalized and affected by this disease because of violations of human rights. For many people living with HIV, Stigma remains the most daunting experience in our lives. The discrimination that follows often eroding our humanity and existence.

When I joined the Kenya Network of Women with AIDS (KENWA), I was dismayed to witness an entirely different world, learning rather quickly that HIV is not a disease of the poor as the media had portrayed it at the time. It was HIV that made active, energetic, optimistic people, mostly women poor. HIV Stigma and discrimination drove people to poverty. Gender inequality put women and girls at heightened risk of acquiring HIV and punished them for having HIV. Everywhere I looked, there was poverty, pain, and sadness. I was infuriated and helpless.

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Desperately wanting my world to know of this other reality, I began to blog about what I saw- the reality of the lives of the women I met and worked with every day. In that time, with very little access to treatment, all we did was provide palliative care, driven by the mission to ensure our sisters had a dignified death.

This experience remains for me the beginning of what person-centred care looked like. We had to see people. Really see people, in their contexts and find ways to be supportive to their needs. Over the years. I have learned from this work the benefits of inclusive, right-based, person cantered caregiving and the efficiencies of integration.  This is a testament to the truth that we must acknowledge now more than ever; that great science is better with people in it from the start.

On this World AIDS Day, I am both humbled and grateful to be a part of the effervescent global HIV movement working together to end AIDS and keep people alive. The movement has achieved a lot that was deemed impossible two decades ago.

The inspiring collaboration of Governments, Donors particularly the US Presidential Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Global Fund, UNAIDS, Civil Society and communities showcases the bold commitment and impact of the global HIV response.  Bold because a lot of decisions have been made for the “first time” in the HIV response more than in any Global health epidemic or disease.

Progress in the HIV Response

We have made great progress in the response. Advancement in science has expanded HIV treatment and prevention options, keeping many of us alive. I am part of the over 30 million people living with HIV priviledged to access life saving treatment that is keeping us alive. This treatment has suppressed the virus in my body to undetectable viral load. I am not ill, and I cannot transmit HIV; Undetectable = Untransmittable.

The number of people acquiring HIV has also reduced by 60% since its peak in 1995 and AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 51% since 2010.  However, we must be conscious not to mistake progress for success. Despite all the progress in science, barriers persist making these benefits elusive for many. UNAIDS reports 1.3 million people acquired HIV in 2023, among these 120,000 new infections were among children. In the same year, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses that are preventable and treatable. Nearly 9.3 million people are not on treatment. Our work is far from done

What you can do

What can you do to contribute towards the HIV movements ambitions? Here are three things that come to mind.

Get an HIV Test. An HIV test is the entry point for all health services related to HIV treatment or prevention. HIV testing is now more private, with self-test kits available at pharmacies near you. There are two possible outcomes from this test: you could test HIV positive, which will require further information and services about treatment and living a healthy life with HIV. Alternatively, you could test HIV negative, in which case you will need information on HIV prevention methods. If nothing else, this is a chance to learn more about HIV, which will go a long way in addressing stigma towards people living with and impacted by HIV.

Get Treatment. If your initial HIV test is positive, it’s important to get in touch with your healthcare provider or visit an HIV clinic near you for a confirmatory test. Once confirmed, you will be initiated into treatment immediately. Evidence shows that people who start HIV treatment while still healthy have better health and clinical outcomes. It has also been scientifically proven that people living with HIV who are on effective treatment and have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus to a sexual partner. By starting treatment, you not only improve your own quality of life but also protect your partner from transmission.

Preventing HIV. HIV prevention is possible. There are expanded options for HIV prevention, including condoms, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). Other than condoms, the other prevention options do not protect against pregnancy or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Nevertheless, HIV prevention tools continue to evolve, with oral and long-acting options making it easier to adhere to them. Be conscious of your sexual health and ensure you get all the information you need about HIV prevention to make informed decisions.

The Writer is the Co-Executive Director, the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+)