Reclaiming Black people’s HIV narratives
Oluwakemi Agunbiade, Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer, writes about the vital importance of including Black people’s experiences to shape HIV services.
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One Voice Network and National AIDS Trust have come together to build evidence, skills and connections with decision-makers to empower Black communities and embed a culture of involvement and co-design.
Black communities in the UK are often left behind when it comes to progress on ending HIV transmissions and stigma, despite being disproportionately affected.
Unheard Voices aims to end the structural inequalities and barriers that affect the health of Black people living with or at risk of HIV in the UK. Uptake of HIV testing, the HIV prevention drug PrEP, and HIV care will only increase with Black communities leading the conversations.
Unheard Voices is a partnership between National AIDS Trust, the UK’s HIV rights charity, and One Voice Network, a collective of 12 Black-led community organisations addressing health inequalities.
The Unheard Voices Report
The Unheard Voices report is the result of this partnership. This publication gives key recommendations to ensure meaningful engagement with Black communities living with and affected by HIV.
It also demonstrates the effectiveness of co-production (where communities members are funded to make decisions on and contribute to the design of HIV services) while recommending further funding to fully realise these ambitions.
The report follows in-depth consultation with London local authority health commissioners to gain their perspectives on how practices can be improved.
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Florence Eshalomi MP, MP for Vauxhall and Co-Chair of All Party Parliamentary Group for HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health have contributed with forewords to the publication.
Download the latest Unheard Voices reports
Black African people are disproportionately affected by HIV
Despite the fact that Black African people make up only 2.4% of the UK population, they comprised 28% new HIV diagnoses in 2022. In the same year, Black Caribbeans was one of a few groups who experienced a rise in late diagnosis rates, so their health outcomes are also at risk.
Our goal is to see a health and support system which offers equitable standards of care for Black African and Caribbean communities and ensures they are not disproportionately impacted by HIV or HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
Our goal is to see a health and support system which offers equitable standards of care for Black African and Caribbean communities and ensures they are not disproportionately impacted by HIV or HIV-related stigma and discrimination.
“We can end inequalities by letting communities lead”
UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima joined us to learn more about a pioneering partnership centering Black communities in HIV care.
To end HIV inequalities, commissioners must include Black communities
Learn more about the findings from the Unheard Voices report.
We are changing things by
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Establishing
a panel of Black community members to review upcoming research on HIV prevention, treatments and care.
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Working
with local authorities to integrate Black people’s lived experience in every step of the HIV service design process, from ideas to implementation.
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Creating
new connections between local and national decision-makers and Black-led community organisations.
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Enhancing
understanding among healthcare providers of the experiences of Black people living with HIV and others in Black communities.
"Let Communities Lead" joint event
In the run up to World AIDS Day 2023 the UNAIDS Chief Executive Winnie Byanyima joined representatives from National AIDS Trust and the twelve London based organisations who make up the One Voice Network, to gain a greater understanding of the grassroots work being done to support Black people living with HIV.
