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Stigma associated with COVID-19 and HIV is a live threat which is damaging to the public health response for both infections. Governments globally should be alert to the fact that COVID-19 is being weaponised to attack vulnerable groups. Ideally, there should be a harm reduction approach to tackling both HIV and COVID-19 across all countries. The history of the HIV response shows us that penalising and shaming people for not observing social distancing will be counterproductive in the long run.BAME communities are particularly impacted by both HIV and COVID-19 because of health inequalities and long-standing discrimination.

BAME-led organisations are underfunded within the HIV sector and are struggling to cope with the high increase in demand for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People living with HIV are already at particularly high risk of poor mental health for multiple and intersected reasons: HIV stigma continues to plague this vulnerable group of people; high levels of trauma and pre-existing mental health conditions within the cohort of people living with HIV; and the disproportionate number of people who are affected from marginalised groups.

Many of these risk factors apply to both COVID-19 and HIV, creating multiple layers of risk to mental health for people living with HIV. Without sufficient mental health support for people with HIV, adherence rates will deteriorate and infections will increase.

So far during the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been some concerning signs that the UK government is not giving the ongoing HIV epidemic sufficient attention. Incorrect information shared domestically to those living with HIV, by the Department of Health and Social Care about shielding has taken months to address. Even then, the response did not come from a Ministerial level1. The recent announcement that UK aid will be decreased, the merger of DFID and the FCO, and the lack of clarity on the future focus on global health in the government’s international aid priorities, are equally concerning.

It is crucial that HIV and AIDS remains firmly on the agenda of the UK government both domestically and internationally – who must be held to their promise to reach zero new infections by 2030.