“Pledge that you will take your medicine for life,” Mishra told Pakinomist in an announcement to mark World AIDS Day on Monday.
“Your medication is your greatest protection” she added.
Yet the global HIV response for the more than 40 million people living with the disease faces its most serious setback in decades, UNAIDS said last week – which is fighting to end the epidemic by 2030 – with funding cuts disrupting prevention and treatment.
On this year’s World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on governments and partners to expand access to new WHO-approved tools, including lenacapavir (LEN), to reduce infections and counter disruptions caused by cuts in foreign aid.
Advances in prevention
“We face significant challenges with cuts in international funding and prevention stalling,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general.
“At the same time, we have significant opportunities with exciting new tools with the potential to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic.”
Despite dramatic setbacks in funding, the global HIV response has gained momentum by 2025, according to the WHO.
The organization prequalified LEN, a highly effective twice-yearly injectable for HIV prevention, in October this year. This was followed by national regulatory approvals to increase access in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
WHO is also working closely with partners to enable affordable access to LEN in countries.
“By pairing these advances with decisive action, supporting communities and removing structural barriers, we can ensure that key and vulnerable populations have full access to life-saving services,” said Tereza Kasaeva, who heads the organization’s HIV and other diseases department.
Communities drive HIV response
UNAIDS warned last week that the number of people starting treatment has fallen in 13 countries, while more than 60 percent of women-led organizations say they had been forced to suspend essential services.
The UN agency highlights that communities are the driving force behind the HIV response, bringing education and support to those living with AIDS and working with health workers and policy makers to advocate for access to treatment.
“The pain, the fear and the mental pressure that we ourselves have felt – through that experience – we know how much of a role peer support plays in someone’s life,” Mishra told Pakinomist as she spoke about the importance of community.
Organizations like the one Mishra works for, the National Coalition of People Living with HIV in India (NCPI+), fight stigma and reach out to vulnerable populations to help access HIV treatment and prevention, among other services.
“We have started this movement, but how to keep it going for a long time – that is a very big question. Because until the network is strong, we will not be able to provide services on the ground, neither reach out to young people nor provide peer support,” she said.
