New era for Aids activism as disease is no longer exceptional
The 26th International Aids Conference highlighted a shift in global health priorities as HIV/Aids is no longer treated as an exceptional crisis. Significant funding cuts from major donors like the US government have led to clinic closures and staff layoffs, creating uncertainty for the future of HIV care.
Why it matters
The withdrawal of international funding threatens decades of progress in HIV management and highlights the vulnerability of global health programs to shifting political and economic priorities.
For decades, Aids was treated as exceptional – and the money, activism, science and political attention followed. At the recent 26th International Aids Conference in Rio de Janeiro, it was clear: that era is ending, writes Mia Malan from the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism .
Standing on a street corner in a famous favela, flanked by three policemen huddled together, speaking Portuguese, I realised the feeling was oddly familiar.
My phone had just been stolen by two men passing by on a motorbike in one of Rio de Janeiro’s tourist hotspots. I was anxious, had no idea what was going to happen next and instantly felt guilty about taking the afternoon off.
About 15km away, the 26th International Aids Conference had, for days, been filled with the same nagging uncertainty. Different place, much bigger stakes, but the same question filled the corridors: what happens next?
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