Every year, people around the world commemorate World AIDS Day on 1 December to show compassion and support for people living with and affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and to remember those who lost their lives to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
The world has shifted its focus to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, and how it has impacted many lives and livelihoods. However, there are many similarities on how COVID-19 and HIV are related to issues like inequality, human rights, gender equality, social protection and the economy.
UN Resident Coordinator to Lao PDR Ms. Sara Sekkenes said “Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the entrenched inequalities that exist in our societies, affecting the poor and most vulnerable, something we recognize also from the manner in which HIV manifested itself. The theme for this year’s World Health Day calls for global solidarity and shared responsibility as no individual, organization or country can address the health crises and eliminate the underlying inequalities on its own. We need to work together to improve access to health systems for the vulnerable groups and demand the rights to health for all if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals that leave no one behind by 2030.”
To help Lao PDR come to grips with some of the potential impacts of COVID on services for people living with HIV, the UN has leveraged on the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund to strengthen community preparedness to respond to HIV during this period. This involves developing new community service models, to improve service delivery, quality of care, and reduce the number of people at the treatment sites to avoid COVID-19 transmission.
Access to these essential services is not just an important issue in 2020. Dr Mark Jacobs, WHO Representative to Lao PDR said “We must continue to make HIV testing and treatment services available for people living with and at risk of HIV by making it easy for them to access much needed services at the community level. This means no disruption in term of services provision and medical supplies at health centres.”
In Lao PDR, there are approximately 13,000 people living with HIV, but only 55 percent of them have access to life saving antiretroviral therapy (ART). To help achieve the national and global vision of “Ending AIDS by 2030”, additional effort is needed to strengthen service delivery at community level so that many more people can easily access this treatment, since the treatment is not just life saving for them, but it also reduces risks for others.
“Communities play an important role in response to HIV. That is why UNAIDS and Alliance has focused our efforts on strengthening the capacity of key populations at community level in order to mitigate disruption of HIV services and ensure that patient-centred care can continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Thongdeng Silakoune, UNAIDS Country Manager to Lao PDR.
This year’s World AIDS Day celebration focuses on advocacy, engaging partners and civil societies, to strengthen the work at community level, and to make testing, treatment, and care available to those who needs it.