World AIDS Day 2023: time to prioritize perilous HIV medicine

World AIDS Day has been observed on the first of December every year. Whilst there are specific themes during the commemoration, the role of conflict on HIV seems neglected and needs prioritization given the rise of conflicts globally.

The global HIV response brought substantial reduction of new HIV infections and HIV-related deaths, and increment of antiretroviral therapy coverage. Nevertheless, there is substantial inequity on the benefit of the response. Individuals with HIV in conflict zones have suffered immensely and are often neglected. The fact that the level, intensity, and number of conflicts is increasing mean more HIV people in conflict or post-conflict settings such as in Ethiopia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Yemen Russia and Ukraine are at risk of negative HIV care and treatment outcomes. In particular, some conflicts such as the case of Ethiopia’s Tigray have been marked by severe public and humanitarian crises, including medical siege, intentional damage of healthcare infrastructure, targeted attacks on health workers, displacement, and appalling incidents of conflict-related sexual violence. Yet, people living with HIV in these conflict settings seem often overlooked. It is crucial to address the unique challenges in these areas to achieve the goals of AIDS/HIV care.

There is no ideal forum to remind the intricate relationship between conflict and the HIV epidemic other than the World AIDS Day. Thus, this this year’s World AIDS Day should focus on prioritizing on tackling the direct and indirect effects of conflict on HIV transmission and treatment. This way, we can achieve the ambitious UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals and Ending AIDS by 2030.