World AIDS Day 2021 Message from ASEAN Health Cluster 2 Chair – Philippines on Adapting and Innovating Toward a Resilient HIV and AIDS Response

December 01, 2021

AHC 2 Chair Message

Standing strong and resilient and in solidarity with people living with and affected by HIV, key affected populations, and relevant partners and stakeholders in the region, the ASEAN Member States join in unison with the rest of the global community for the annual observance of the World AIDS Day on the first day of December, highlighting this year’s theme: “End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics.”

Despite all the challenges and setback in the HIV and AIDS response, the ASEAN Member States remain steadfast in its commitment, building on opportunities and gains of the past and spirited by unity, amity, and cooperation, to seriously address and respond to the intersecting HIV and COVID-19 pandemics, underscoring that AIDS epidemic remains a global emergency and a paramount health, development, human rights and social challenge.

Recognising that COVID-19 has contributed to slowing or reversing the HIV response gains, further exacerbated the existing social, economic, racial, and gender inequalities, and disrupted essential services, making the lives of many people living with HIV and even frontline health care workers more challenging, we have invigorated our commitment to getting back on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 with the adoption of the 2021 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASEAN Member States are encouraged and challenged to set ambitious targets and reinvigorate our efforts to design and implement HIV and AIDS response according to national laws, national development priorities, human rights, and evidence about the epidemic in each ASEAN Member State, guided by the “Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026: End Inequalities. End AIDS.”

Our learnings and experiences almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic equipped us to employ adaptive and innovative strategies to provide access to safe, affordable, and effective HIV services and solutions including COVID-19 testing and vaccination, combination HIV prevention, differentiated HIV testing approaches, and person-centred treatment and other health and social services, reach affected people in greatest need wherever they are. Communities most affected by HIV are meaningfully involved to play their critical leadership role as we continue to adapt and innovate.

Challenged by various restrictions imposed across the ASEAN region in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we strive for continuity of essential HIV and healthcare services through differentiated service delivery models such as multi-month dispensing, optimised use of virtual or digital platforms, community-led and home-based delivery of services, with special attention to the poor, disadvantaged and marginalised communities, acknowledging that poverty and poor health are inextricably linked and that poverty can increase the risk of progression from HIV to AIDS.

Safeguarding the fundamental right of every person living with HIV to access combination HIV prevention, lifesaving antiretroviral drugs, COVID-19 vaccine, and other support services, without discrimination, is critical for the achievement of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and towards ending AIDS by 2030.

Everyone’s voice is deemed important as we define a more resilient HIV response. Let us therefore endeavour as one ASEAN community to enhance cooperation and accountability and operationalise a coordinated HIV response based on regional solidarity and shared responsibility to address challenges and barriers in mobilising finances, increasing sustainable domestic resources, enacting enabling policies, employing innovative financing mechanism, and strengthen capacity building, and complement these with renewed commitment from bilateral and multilateral donors to fill in funding gaps and resource needs.

Achieving universal health coverage can be an accelerator to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Thus, building a resilient and effective HIV and AIDS response must be anchored on universal health coverage and integration of HIV and AIDS and other health programs and services into existing health financing, social protection system, emergency and pandemic responses.

With strong political will and leadership of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government at the forefront, we continue to take stride towards ending all inequalities and eliminating stigma and discrimination as we reaffirm that the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental freedom for all is an essential element of the resilient HIV and AIDS response. This calls for strengthened community participation and meaningful involvement of people living with HIV, at risk of and affected by HIV, including women, adolescents and young people, community-based organisations, service providers, business and private sectors, religious leaders and faith-based organisations, international organisations, and development partners to address individual, community, and structural factors and inequalities and eliminate stigma and discrimination that drive the HIV epidemic.

We also need to further enhance ownership, coordination and cooperation across sectors, as well as, at regional, national, and local levels, including South-to-South cooperation, cross-border and city-to-city collaboration and cooperation, and in addition including strengthening capacity to coordinate such multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Together, let us rise above these pandemics as one ASEAN community and focus our synergistic efforts to galvanize our commitment and cohesively leap forward towards healing, economic recovery, and building a more resilient HIV and AIDS response with utmost respect for human rights.

Together, we can persistently endeavour to end HIV epidemic by 2030 and reach the furthest behind first, and ensure that no one is left behind.

National Level Publication/Activies