WORLD AIDS DAY 2020 1DECEMBER Adj Prof Chief Executive Officer Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations Darryl O’Donnell So much that seemed certain AFAO and its members responded was upended this year by swiftly and effectively to these new COVID-19. Yet as we mark challenges, advocating for telehealth, secure medicine supplies and targeted World AIDS Day and remember public health campaigns. While many those lost to the HIV epidemic, mainstream services closed down the bonds of our community during the initial crisis our members response remain strong. stepped up, reminding us that at their heart, the DNA of our movement is our As a movement forged in an earlier responsiveness and accountability to health crisis, COVID-19 was a novel those we serve. yet familiar threat. It demanded new tactics and That grit also characterised the HIV response strategy, but drew from the same community to COVID in Asia and the Pacific. Many of the reservoir of solidarity, empathy and courage. communities hardest hit by HIV suffered the Policy makers and clinicians quickly relearned the double whammy of COVID, confronting delays in importance of community norms, such as social medicine supplies, disruption to counselling and distancing, mask usage and hand sanitising. outreach services and the decimation of service This echoed the way gay men, sex workers and and entertainment industries that employ so many people who use drugs adopted safe sex and safer members of our communities. injecting in the 1980s. Civil society organisations we work with in Other important principles came to the fore: the region tackled these issues head on. Their positive reinforcement is far more effective than advocacy kept HIV on the agenda with domestic shame when you are fighting a virus without a and international funding agencies. COVID was vaccine or cure. And bipartisan consensus is the the emergency of 2020, but successfully treating glue of a national response. and preventing it must not be at the expense of Yet while the lessons of HIV informed the progress against HIV. COVID-19 response, the pandemic also disrupted No year is ever dull or straightforward in our progress against HIV. We grappled with complex community-led response, but this one was issues such as sexual practice at a time when especially unpredictable and challenging. I am COVID-19 made most things unsafe. We also hopeful 2021 will bring new opportunities to stride saw the rapid transition of HIV services to online forward in our mission. delivery and the redeployment of staff in public clinics to COVID-19. 2 Contents Adj Prof Darryl O’Donnell | AFAO 2 Tim Wilson MP and Senator Louise Pratt 4 HIV globally in 2019 5 Senator the Hon Marise Payne 6 The Hon Greg Hunt MP 7 Senator the Hon Penny Wong and the Hon Chris Bowen MP 8 Adam Bandt MP and Senator Rachel Siewert 9 Eamonn Murphy | UNAIDS 10 Peter Sands | Global Fund 11 Supporting communities in Sri Lanka 12 Tania Rishniw | Department of Health 13 The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG 14 Professor Sharon Lewin | Doherty Institute 15 Professor Anthony Kelleher | Kirby Institute 16 Coordination Professor Carla Treloar | CSRH 17 Michael Badorrek Professor Brendan Crabb AC | Burnet Institute 18 HIV stigma in 2020 19 Design & Production Alexis Apostolellis | ASHM 20 Biotext Professor Suzanne Fraser | ARCSHS 21 Scott Harlum | NAPWHA 22 Credits The World AIDS Day Jules Kim | Scarlet Alliance 23 booklet is developed by the Melanie Walker | AIVL 24 Australian Federation of Michelle Tobin | ANA 25 AIDS Organisations (AFAO) Novel approaches drive progress in the Philippines 26 through a grant from the Commonwealth Department HIV in Australia in 2019 28 of Health We also Felicity Young | AFAO 30 acknowledge the support of the Pacific Friends of Global Health. The booklet is part of the World AIDS Day Parliamentary Breakfast, which was initiated in 2010. AFAO recognises : Ma Nilar lives with his wife and daughter in rural Myanmar. Ma and his wife are Cover the leadership of Mr Bill HIV-positive and receive antiretroviral treatment with support from a peer outreach worker, who visits them at their farm in Shan State. Ma’s wife received treatment to Bowtell AO in conceiving protect her baby from HIV during her pregnancy. (John Rae/Global Fund) this event. 3 Tim Wilson MP and Chair and Deputy Chair Parliamentary Friends for Action on HIV/AIDS, Blood Borne Senator Louise Pratt Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections 2020 is a year that has New treatments continue to become reminded us of the risks of available which reduce the risks of health pandemics, and the side effects. Additionally, research has opened the possibility for people living need to tackle them head with HIV to move from daily pill-based on. COVID-19 may have regimens to injectable alternatives with taken priority in the public month-long lifespans. consciousness, but it should But our work is far from complete. The not deter us from our efforts to rising rates of transmission amongst tackle other viruses which pose Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander serious health risks around the Australians and amongst culturally and linguistically diverse communities world. is a reminder that we need targeted As the UNAIDS 2020 Report Seizing education campaigns. We also have the Moment outlined, while progress the challenge of helping international has been made internationally, that students and other Medicare ineligible progress has not been even, and residents access treatment and be part the COVID-19 pandemic could delay of the solution of reducing transmission. progress to meet international targets Australia can meet this challenge. We by up to a decade. have a proud history of bipartisan World AIDS Day 2020 is an opportunity to refocus cooperation on HIV/AIDS, and have led the world our work alongside the risks of COVID-19. Each in transmission control and access to treatments. year new scientific advances and treatments We have strong community groups that coordinate become available to compound on the learning with health bodies and government for efficacy. and legacy of reducing transmissions, helping But we must also continue to confront the stigma improve the freedom of those living with HIV/AIDS many still face. All Australians are entitled to live in Australia and around the world. full and happy lives. We sit on the cusp of a new age of containing As parliamentarians we have a critical role to and treating HIV transmission. Prevention is play in terms of leading the national discussion, essential. With home testing kits supported by promoting community education and advocating community education campaigns we can reduce for effective strategies to improve the health and transmission rates further. The long-term wellbeing of all Australians. trend is declining thanks to these The purpose of the Parliamentary Friends developments, alongside the listing of for Action on HIV/AIDS, Blood Borne Viruses pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the and Sexually Transmitted Infections is to be Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). 4 a strong and bipartisan advocacy group for together so that Australia can continue to be parliamentarians, the health community and a world leader in controlling and reducing those living with these conditions to educate and transmission rates, supporting those living with work together to inform policy based on science HIV and to look with optimism about what we can and efficacy. achieve in years to come together. On World AIDS day we pay respect to the work that has been done, and recommit to working HIV globally in 2019 38 million 36.2 million adults People living with HIV 1.8 million children 25.4 million This is 67% of all People with HIV were accessing antiretroviral therapy people living with HIV This is a 40% reduction 1.7 million from the peak People were newly diagnosed with HIV (2.8 million) in 1998 5 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Minister for Women Marise Payne The COVID-19 pandemic has has reported that 84 per cent of their had a catastrophic impact HIV programming has experienced on global health security and disruption as a result of COVID-19. threatens hard-won progress The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the leadership and against HIV/AIDS. This commitment of communities in the World AIDS Day provides an HIV response. These communities have opportunity to take stock of moved swiftly to respond to COVID-19, the achievements in the global including by using their knowledge and fight against HIV/AIDS and the experience to work towards ensuring gains that must be protected if we are to that those living with and vulnerable to HIV have the necessary information and services to protect end the HIV epidemic by 2030. themselves from these colliding health crises. Since the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, over Like COVID-19, the HIV epidemic is a shared crisis, 75 million people have become infected with and we must meet both challenges through global HIV, and 32.7 million people have died from cooperation. Australia is committed to continuing AIDS-related illnesses (UNAIDS). The global our strong leadership both domestically and on fight against HIV/AIDS is a story of compassion, the global stage, engaging with our longstanding resilience, solidarity and respect. Significant partner UNAIDS in developing the next global progress has been made. Recent UNAIDS data strategy to combat HIV/AIDS. shows that AIDS-related deaths have reduced In our region, new infections are concentrated in by 60% since the peak in 2004, and at the end of key populations and their partners. Australia is 2019 of the 38 million people living with HIV over working with long-standing partners, including 25 million were accessing antiretroviral therapy.