World AIDS Day: Like COVID-19, The World Needs To Come Together In Battle Against AIDS

In the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic when the world was starting to search for a cure or vaccine against it, there were a lot of comparisons between the Coronavirus outbreak and AIDS.

And many had expressed apprehensions that, like AIDS, COVID-19 will not go away and we may never find a vaccine for it.

AFP

But a few months down the lane, we already have several vaccine candidates for COVID-19 with very promising results, and some top experts are already projecting on when the pandemic will end.

No vaccine yet for HIV

This is unlike AIDS, which was reported some four decades ago and since then some of the world's best scientific minds have failed to make a vaccine for it.

Around 32.7 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses in the last 40 years and continue to affect many more across the world.

Reuters

But health experts have agreed that the lessons learned from the fight against HIV/AIDS have played a role in the global response against COVID-19.

According to Linda-Gail Bekker, Professor of medicine and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, lessons learnt from HIV and AIDS can be used to inform the COVID-19 response as the challenges are similar.

COVID-19 pandemic can pave way

Many of the ongoing COVID-19 vaccine trials are taking place in multiple countries, including South Africa. The capacity to conduct these studies, including the clinical staff and trial sites, are well established as a result of decades of HIV/AIDS research. There are fears that developing nations might be excluded from accessing an effective COVID-19 vaccine. But global mechanisms are now in place to avoid this and to, instead, encourage and enable global solidarity, some of which were championed by the HIV/AIDS response.

AFP

The Access to COVID-9 Tools (ACT)-Accelerator, established by the World Health Organisation in April 2020 in collaboration with many other global organisations, governments, civil society and industry, have committed through the pillar known as Covax, to equitable distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine as well as diagnostic tests and treatments. These global institutions and mechanisms require continued support.

HIV vaccine development more complex

With the deployment of an effective vaccine, an end to COVID-19 might soon be in sight. For HIV, vaccine development has been more complex and disappointing. The global community needs to remain committed to promoting access and support for the many incredible prevention and treatment options that are available. The unprecedented effort on the part of private industry in the COVID-19 vaccine response shines a light on what can be achieved when all interested parties engage. The HIV and TB vaccine endeavours need a similar effort.

AFP

These are not the only pandemics the world will face. In fact, there are strong predictions that the emergence of new pandemics will increase in the future. This is due to the effects of globalisation, climate change and proximity to wildlife.

The best hope for humanity is to not lose sight of what these pandemics cost us in terms of loved ones, in terms of freedom and economically. We must prepare now collectively across countries and across all levels of society. These preparations need to be grounded in the lessons learnt from HIV/AIDS and re-learnt from COVID-19.

Social solidarity

The success of the global response to current and emerging pandemics will rely on the ability of the less vulnerable to acknowledge their shared responsibility and respond to those calls.

An important truth of the HIV epidemic is that it doesn¡¯t discriminate. No infectious disease acknowledges political borders and everybody is at risk of being infected or affected. If nothing else, because of this we need to continue to work together on a global scale knowing that ¡°no one is safe, until everyone is safe¡±.

BCCL

It is also worth noting that some of the world's top AIDS researchers like David Ho had joined the global search for a COVID-19 vaccine.