For immediate release!
On this World AIDS Day, we join millions across the globe in commemorating lives lost, celebrating progress, and recommitting ourselves to the fight against HIV/AIDS. This year’s theme, “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right”, is a powerful reminder that access to health services is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. For LGBTQ people, this theme underscores the urgent need to dismantle structural inequalities and discriminatory practices that have long fueled the HIV/AIDS epidemic within our communities.

HIV/AIDS does not discriminate, but people and systems do. Across Africa, LGBTQ individuals face pervasive stigma, criminalization, and violence that impede access to essential healthcare services. Policies that exclude LGBTQ people from national health plans, alongside social attitudes that discourage open discussions about sexuality, create environments where HIV thrives unchecked. These injustices not only undermine individual well-being but also hinder global efforts to achieve an AIDS-free world.

Discrimination is a driver of the epidemic. Many LGBTQ individuals avoid seeking care for fear of being outed, judged, or denied services. This fear is not unfounded; in too many instances, healthcare providers perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and policymakers enact laws that criminalize our very existence. This lack of inclusivity and cultural competence in healthcare pushes marginalized people further from life-saving interventions like PrEP, PEP, antiretroviral therapy, and accurate information on sexual health.

Yet, despite these barriers, LGBTQ communities continue to lead in resilience and advocacy. Grassroots organizations are amplifying voices, providing safe spaces, and driving conversations that challenge stigma. We recognize that the fight against HIV/AIDS is inseparable from the fight for equality, justice, and the decriminalization of LGBTQ lives.

To truly “Take the Rights Path,” governments, healthcare providers, and society at large must prioritize inclusion. We call for comprehensive reforms that ensure equal access to healthcare for all, free from discrimination. We urge our allies to hold space for LGBTQ voices and join us in dismantling systems that perpetuate inequality.
On this World AIDS Day, we affirm that our health is our right. By advancing human rights, we can end HIV/AIDS, not just within our communities but for all humanity. Let us walk this path together—boldly, with compassion and unwavering resolve.
#TakeTheRightsPath
#MyHealthMyRight
#WorldAIDSDay