Mali Youth Summit On HIV Round Up: What About HIV? Zero New Infections, Zero AIDS-Related Deaths & Zero Stigma and Discrimination. The Call To Action

Day 5: Closing Blog


So, it's the end of the Mali Youth Summit on HIV, and I'm off the plane; back in the UK - jetlagged, but inspired, tanned up and ready for action.

I went as a UK youth media representative and HIV activist, I return as part of a global movement. Not too shabby a deal.

What did I learn from the conference? If you've been following my daily blogs, the answer is, never enough.

Over 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide, 7000 new infections every day (3000 of those being in young people), over 10 million without access to HIV treatment. There is much great work happening around HIV prevention and justice (evidence supplied by my fellow youth ambassadors and the UNAIDS summit facilitators) - but with too many shortcomings past and present, there's still so much more that needs doing.

But having met and worked alongside some of the greatest minds and hearts at the summit, as well as already chowing down on endorsements from the likes of the President of Mali and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Chinese TV presenter James Chau and even her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway - I conclude with the belief there is terrific potential with the newly formed youth-led global network to frontline what is being called the 'HIV/AIDS response revolution'.

All you need to know is on the Call to Action, detailing every facet of how it’s going to be done.

The lethal dose to HIV injustice has been created – now it just needs to be injected – and it will be, right in the lap of the President of the General Assembly of the UN at the GA High Level Meeting on AIDS this June. Trust, if it were possible, I'd play delivery boy quite happily.

Though not to be overlooked - undoubtedly it was a challenging graft putting our key messages and demands together in this document (I would know, having sat on the drafting committee). With the branches of HIV injustice spreading far and wide, the drafts chipped and changed from the start of the summit last Friday April 15, to the final moments yesterday evening. Yet consider a hotpot of 150+ passionate and outspoken HIV activists from across around 70 nations – and the journey towards this mission statement (however rocky) was an inevitable, and necessary one.

Now this Call to Action is a momentous stepping stone, a call out to Heads of States, governments, all leaders, all those possessing the political and social power (and the wads of cash) – to make this investment, as HIV justice does not speak solely to the interest of key populations; young people who use drugs, young men who have sex with men, young people living with HIV, young transgender people and young sex workers. This public health revolution applies to ALL.

If you care about morality, then you care about HIV.

Zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero stigma and discrimination. Can it be done? Sign up to the Call to Action at www.whatabouthiv.org - every revolution starts somewhere.