A call for coordination: philanthropy’s response to Covid-19, HIV, and systemic inequalities

This article originally appeared on the Alliance website.

The challenges presented by Covid-19 are not new to people living with, or at risk of HIV. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) and Black, Indigenous and people of Colour (BIPOC) communities in the United States—as well as key populations globally^[1] — have been disproportionately affected by these same structural and systemic issues for decades. The pandemic didn’t create these inequalities and vulnerabilities, it has only brought them further into focus.

A new report commissioned by Funders Concerned About AIDS and the Elton John AIDS Foundation provides an in-depth assessment of this challenge. Though our research began as a way to understand and mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on people impacted by HIV, it quickly became clear that we needed to broaden our lens to look at the crisis in a more intersectional way. We analysed available data and sought input from funders, community-based organisations (CBOs), and activists about their experience responding to Covid-19. The report’s takeaway is clear and urgent: funders and governments must listen to communities and work collaboratively with them—and with each other—to combat the converging epidemics of Covid-19, HIV, and systemic inequality.

Read the full article here.