World AIDS Day 2021

1. Re-commit to end HIV

Persistent inequalities and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic require a renewed effort to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

2. Tackle HIV and COVID-19 together

We must confront the special challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic for people living with HIV.

3. Focus on equality

We must ensure that everyone, everywhere has equal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, including COVID-19 vaccinations and services.

4. Concentrate on those left behind

WHO recommends a renewed focus on countries and populations that are still missing out in the global response to HIV and AIDS. These include the diverse groups of people being marginalized in each country, including “key” populations of people who are at high risk.

Health workers

• Advocate for maintaining high quality essential HIV services during the COVID pandemic;
• Incorporate HIV into routine health interventions;
• Deliver care that is kind, respectful of human rights and without stigma;
• Ensure you are trained and aware of infection prevention and control and that you use appropriate measures;
• Protect your safety and that of the people you care for.

Ministries of Health, National AIDS Commissions and other public health leaders

• Take decisive action to revive and maintain essential HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Allocate sufficient resources improve the quality of HIV services and make them more resilient and sustainable;
• Focus efforts to reach populations that are vulnerable or that are key to the HIV response, including, pregnant women and infants;
• Expand high quality HIV services for youth at risk, adolescents, pregnant women, men who have sex with men in a flexible and sustainable manner;
• Empower communities to combat stigma and discrimination.
• Support and empower frontline health workers (nurses, midwives and community health workers) to deliver high-quality HIV services, while recognizing their critical contributions in providing HIV services;
• Ensure appropriate and sufficient personal protective equipment and hand hygiene items, as well as the provision of a supportive, safe working environment to improve the safety of working conditions in health care settings;

Community leaders

• Ensure essential HIV services are maintained in the community;
• Reach out to key and vulnerable populations and assist them to access HIV services when needed;
• Ensure that adolescents, youth at risk, pregnant women and infants receive adequate care that incorporates HIV.
• Combat stigma and discrimination to ensure that everyone feels safe to access HIV services;
• Support community health workers, including nurses and midwives, to provide HIV services to everyone in the community;

HIV program managers

• Focus on key and vulnerable populations for delivery of HIV services.
• Support and empower frontline health workers to deliver high quality HIV services to everyone who needs them;
• Recognize the essential contributions of nurses and midwives to providing HIV services;
• Ensure adequate training in HIV services for frontline health workers;

Development partners

• Ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities, supplies and HIV and COVID-19 services;
• Invest in building the capacity of health workers, to deliver quality HIV services;
• Support people-centred care including Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) and multi-month dispending (MMD) for all populations