7/30/2019 A Call to Action For People Living With HIV

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A Call to Action to People Living with HIV

WearepeoplelivingwithHIV.

Overthreedecadesintothisepidemic,weareangrythatstill4500ofusaredyingofAIDS-

relatedillnesseseveryday.Sixteenyearsafterdevelopingeffectivetreatment,morethanhalf

ofallofuswhoneeditcannotaccesstheselife-savingdrugs.Theprogressthathasbeenmade

intreatmentaccessisunderthreat.

Peoplewithoutaccesstotreatmentdie!

Weareangrythatourhumanrightsareincreasinglybeingviolated.Wearefacedwith

involuntarytesting,forcedsterilizationandbeingtreatedascriminalsbecauseofourHIV

status.Everydaywearethrownoutofourhomes,ourschoolsandourworkplaces.

Thisisanassaultonourhumanity!

WepaytributetothewomenandmenwhostartedthepeoplelivingwithHIVmovement.

Becauseofthem,wearealivetoday.AspeoplelivingwithHIV,wehaveachievedsomuch.Itis

peoplelivingwithHIVwhohave:

createdharmreductionandsafersex inspiredawholenewmovementforhealthcare linkedhealthcaretohumanrights broughtvisibilitytoLGBTissues brokenbigpharmasmonopolyonmedicine broughtbacksocialandeconomicrightsintotheglobalconversation;and stimulatedthecreationoftheGlobalFundtoFightAIDS,TB,andMalaria.

Butwearenowfacingmorebarrierstoourhealthandourrights.Weface:

punitivelawsandpolicies,resultinginahostileanddisablingenvironment withdrawaloffundingandnewtraderulesandregulations,dramaticallyreducing

ouraccesstodrugsandcare

fragmentedandcomplacentcommunities,resultinginweakenedadvocacy.

WestandsidebysideasyoungactivistslivingwithHIVandlong-termadvocatestoteardown

thesebarriers.

Ifwedontactnownewinfectionswillrise;wewillneverachieveuniversalaccess,getto

zeroorendAIDS.

7/30/2019 A Call to Action For People Living With HIV

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Weareinastateofemergency!

Wewillhaveaccesstothebestavailableprevention,treatmentandcareforourselvesand

ourchildren.

Wewillenjoyallhumanrightsandfreedoms.

Wewillnotstandidleandwatchoursistersandbrothersdie.

We,asacoalitionofpeoplelivingwithHIV,unitearoundthePeopleLivingwithHIVGlobal

AdvocacyAgenda,whichwasdevelopedbyourcommunitiesaroundtheworld.TheGlobal

AdvocacyAgendadescribeswhatweallstillneed1toensureaccesstoprevention,treatment,

careandsupport,toprotectourhumanrightsandstrengthenallofourcommunities.

ThisisacalltoreinvigorateandgalvanizethemovementofpeoplelivingwithHIVinthefaceof

thisunprecedentedglobalcrisisthataffectsusall.

WeurgeallpeoplelivingwithHIV,networksofpeoplelivingwithHIV,andnetworksofkey

populations,tocommittojointogetherinsolidarity.

ThenextstruggleofthePeopleLivingwithHIVMovementhasbegun.Forsuccess,weneedan

evengreaterandmoreforcefulmovementthatspanseveryregionandeverycountrywithits

rootsembeddeddeepineachofourcommunities.

Pleasejoinus!

1ThePositiveHealth,DignityandPreventionPolicyFrameworkoutlinestheholisticneeds

ofpeoplelivingwithHIVandallofthecomponentsrequiredtopromotethehealthand

generalwellbeingofanindividuallivingwithHIV.TheGlobalAdvocacyAgendahighlights

theoutstandingneeds,whicharestilltobemetinorderforustoenjoyourhealthand

dignity.