HIV highlights stark health inequities — we hope to help |
| Today, we recognize World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “global solidarity, shared responsibility.”
Millions of people living with HIV now have access to a range of effective treatments that keep progression to AIDS at bay. However, many more still do not. Of the 38 million people with HIV around the world, around 12 million have no access to treatment. Each year, almost 1 million people die from AIDS. In some countries, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS remains the leading cause of death. Like COVID-19, HIV highlights the stark inequalities in health outcomes. Effective funding of programs that target key populations is part of the solution, but access to information is also crucial. This is where Medical News Today can help. To coincide with World AIDS Day, we have launched a new resource dedicated to HIV and AIDS. It provides worldwide access to news of the latest research and treatments, as well as resources and advice. With articles covering the early signs and symptoms, the difference between HIV and AIDS, and the myths and facts about transmission, our evidence-backed insights provide in-depth information for those who need it most. We also recognize the importance of destigmatizing HIV by sharing the experiences of people who are living with the virus today. MNT’s Research Editor Dr. Yella Hewings-Martin was recently in conversation with Christopher and Robert, two people living with HIV who received their diagnoses 15 years apart. It is an important and, at times, difficult read that ultimately offers hope for the ongoing struggle against HIV and AIDS. You can also listen to their moving conversation as a podcast. The picture in 2020 is very different to that in 1988, when the first World AIDS Day took place. Scientists and healthcare providers have taken huge strides toward making HIV a manageable condition for much of the world. However, this progress is not equally shared, and there is still much to do to ensure global equity in the fight against AIDS. At MNT, we welcome the call for global solidarity and gladly share the responsibility of providing evidence-based information about HIV and AIDS to all. |
Emilia
