08 Apr MH17: Looking back, striding forward

Six colleagues who were working in the HIV field – Joep Lange, Jacqueline van Tongeren, Pim de Kuijer, Lucie van Mens, Glenn Thomas, and Martine De Schutter – were killed when their flight en route to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over the Ukraine in July 2014. One year later, the 12th International AIDS Impact conference with the theme ‘We are our choices’ was held in Amsterdam. Catherine Hankins of the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development gave an in memoriam keynote opening address. She highlighted the tangible, valued roles played in the HIV response by each colleague and looked forward to the road ahead.

This article describes how we can build on their legacy to address current global challenges in HIV prevention and treatment. It details ten global strategic information indicators, new developments in HIV prevention, and progress on both treatment for all people living with HIV and elimination of paediatric HIV. It underscores the need for changes in legislation, policy, and public attitudes to address stigma and discrimination, and concludes with a call to mobilise the intensified, focused resources – through efficiency gains and increased investment – that are needed to turn the HIV epidemic on its head. Read more