National AIDS Trust works to protect and defend human rights for everyone at risk of or living with HIV. We believe, alongside the WHO, that: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being”.
The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year has brought much uncertainty but if this period has offered some clarity on one thing it’s that structural racism is alive and well in the UK.
This week saw the publication of a PHE review that describes a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BAME people in England, linked to wider socio-economic and health inequalities. HIV is one health issue driven by inequality.
The urgency of this inquiry cannot be questioned considering the disproportionate suffering of people of colour from the pandemic.
Prevent, part of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, is highly contested, with concerns it is more akin to surveillance, with individuals viewed as potential criminals rather than those with care and support needs.
The Muslim community in the UK experiences a greater range of health inequalities than the wider population, particularly older people, with over 24 per cent of Muslims aged 50 years and above reporting poor or very poor health.
The new HIV: women in the UK report by Public Health England, Sophia Forum and Terrence Higgins Trust provides a welcome focus on how women are affected by HIV in the UK.
HIV is a women’s issue. Internationally, young women are the group facing the greatest risk of acquiring HIV and in the UK a third of people living with the virus are women.
This week, a vitally important report has been published – entitled ‘Women and HIV: Invisible No Longer’, the report is the culmination of a one year research project conducted by Sophia Forum and Terrence Higgins Trust into the needs of women affected by HIV.
