As we watch COVID-19 spread across the globe, we see a virus that must be stopped. Drawing from decades of work on HIV, we know that confronting this novel virus demands the same data-driven, evidence-based advocacy that has been at the center of our work with all of you for 25 years.
There are still a lot of unknowns—and many myths circulating—but the scientific community is working to advance our understanding of COVID-19 and develop potential treatments and vaccines. Understandably, this new disease also raises many questions about the implications for HIV research and the global communities of people affected by HIV.
On Monday, March 23 we were joined by Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, Director of the Division of AIDS (DAIDS) at the NIH, Lillian Mworeko of ICW-EA and Yvette Raphael of APHA, to answer questions about what we do and don’t know about COVID-19 and HIV, how to track research developments on the HIV front, what this new pandemic might mean for ongoing HIV research, and how the HIV community can contribute to the fight against COVID-19.
The recording can be found here.
The HIV advocacy community has a unique role to play in countering myths, developing an advocacy agenda that brings solutions to the people who need it most, and demanding those solutions be data-driven, evidence-based and centered in human rights.
In the weeks and months ahead, we encourage you to sort the myths and facts on COVID-19 with these resources, and to keep watching this space to engage with crucial developments.