The pandemic has more than ever demonstrated that global solidarity, shared responsibility and protecting everyone is critical to any serious effort to end pandemics, including AIDS, and achieve health for all.

The new advocacy guide supports partners in developing advocacy strategies that integrate rights-based, community-led and inclusive approaches into the UHC agenda in the context of COVID-19 and beyond. It informs longer-term advocacy to ensure countries have health systems in place that are strong and resilient to future health crises.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, community advocates have raised concerns about how different preventive measures by countries are affecting the continued delivery of HIV services and the further exclusion of key populations and other marginalised groups.

Some measures taken by governments have led to a further increase of stigma and discrimination of key populations. Also lockdowns, quarantines and disruption of public transport services have prevented people living with and affected by HIV to go to clinics and access vital services. Read more on this in the blog of our colleague, Marielle Hart, Head of Policy US at Aidsfonds.