CNN: Time to write last chapter on HIV
Chris Beyrer, president of the International AIDS Society and Desmond Tutu professor of public health and human rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Anthony S. Fauci, director of the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

“…[W]e must avoid the temptation to prematurely declare victory against HIV. … [T]his epidemic is far from over. … Several critical steps need to be taken: First, the global community of nations must strengthen its commitment to funding the best and most promising research on HIV. … Second, the United States needs to continue its long-standing global leadership in expanding access to essential HIV treatment and prevention. … Third, it is equally important to address laws and policies that discourage or prevent people in need from accessing HIV services. … We believe that, with the right combination of global resolve, political commitment, and financial resources, the world can begin to write the last chapter in the long struggle against HIV” (11/30).

Huffington Post: Focusing on Efficiency in the AIDS Fight
Mathieu Lamiaux, senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

“…The fight [against HIV] needs to focus on deploying our limited resources more efficiently. … [T]he focus needs to shift to operational effectiveness. We now need to translate this into the operations of African health centers. … The efficiency strategies employed by Africa’s top-performing health centers are not widely used today. If broadly adopted, hundreds of millions of dollars could be saved each year, money that could finance treatment for millions of additional patients. HIV fighters will need to switch to continuous efficiency improvement as corporations do. Only by thinking, organizing, and using resources differently can the global health community end the epidemic” (11/29).

Huffington Post: Measuring and Mitigating HIV Stigma: An Overlooked Imperative to Ending AIDS
Kent Messer, behavioral economist at the University of Delaware

“…Despite medical advances, getting to zero as envisioned by UNAIDS is impossible unless systematic efforts are undertaken to both measure and mitigate HIV stigma. … Campaigns to reduce HIV stigma should address both the fear of transmission and the social dimension of stigma. Those working on HIV/AIDS issues must not only invest in medication, but also in educational efforts targeting mitigation by addressing misinformation about how people are infected and challenging cultural and/or religious influences that may consciously or unconsciously fuel stigmatization and discrimination. Ultimately, measuring and mitigating stigma must become a higher priority for both governments and non-government organizations in Africa, the United States, and throughout the world…” (11/30).

Huffington Post: Want a Healthy World? Let the HIV Response Lead the Way
Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, and Timothy Mastro, director of global health, population, and nutrition at FHI 360

“…Successful achievement of both the [Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG)] health goal and the UNAIDS Fast-Track targets hinges on innovation. … While the range of options for impacting HIV has grown tremendously, additional research is needed to make things simpler to use, to expand choices, and to make health a reality for all. Here, too, HIV is aligned with the broader health response, which seeks to expand access to effective vaccines and durable cures to a range of other diseases. We believe the same tools — a vaccine and a cure — can and must be pursued for HIV. … Smart investments to sustain the momentum for HIV/AIDS control will strengthen health systems and contribute greatly to ending poverty, hunger, and inequality, moving the world closer to ending HIV/AIDS once and for all” (11/25).