Powerful commitments in Strasbourg: MEPs unite to accelerate the fight against HIV/AIDS!
This morning in Strasbourg, five leading Members of the European Parliament from three political groups, along with HIV clinicians, academics, and people living with HIV, came together to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS across Europe.
Key takeaways and commitments:
✅ Push for an EU Action Plan on HIV/AIDS to drive stronger leadership and political commitment.
💶 Increase EU funding for research on healthy ageing, stigma and discrimination, and measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) through the European Commission.
📊 Measure and monitor the HRQoL of people living with HIV across Europe to integrate all aspects of physical health and mental health – including stigma and discrimination.
🚫 Combatting HIV stigma and discrimination with a legal framework that protects people living with HIV and improve healthcare professionals training.
📣 Raise awareness with campaigns to reshape perceptions and challenge misconceptions about HIV (e.g., U=U - Undetectable = Untransmittable).
💬 “Commitment is reflected by funding,” said MEP & Co-host Tomislav Sokol, urging the European Commission to continue investing in HIV research and pilot projects.
💬 “Living with HIV no longer means a shorter life, but it’s only half the story.” - HIV Outcomes Co-Chair Caroline Sabin
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us today, especially UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) for their fantastic collaboration—this is just the beginning!
A united, sustained, and well-financed effort is essential to achieve SDG 3.3 and end AIDS by 2030. With just 5️⃣ years left, the time to act is now!
