Responsibility

Recognising and Celebrating World AIDS Day 2022

December 2022

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Last week all divisions at MSD UK recognised and celebrated World AIDS Day with a number of activities.

On World AIDS Day itself, our colleagues were privileged to hear perspectives and insights from Vittorio on living with HIV. We learned about the importance of awareness days and recognised the critical journey we have been on throughout the last 40 years. Vittorio, who also works within our clinical trials team, explained the importance of fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in clinical trial development, across all intersections of society- a particular passion point for him.

More than 20 of our colleagues joined Positive East’s incredible RED RUN to support the HIV community and the fight against HIV stigma. We felt honoured to be able to support Positive East and all the other HIV community groups involved in the RED RUN who have been at the forefront of HIV service and care across the years; improving the quality of life of individuals and communities affected by HIV from point of diagnosis to longer term care.

We have also had the chance to reflect on the Fifty Over 50 project, a unique listening exercise which set out to give people growing older with HIV a voice.  Fifty Over 50 brings together first-hand accounts from a diverse range of people living with HIV aged 50+, and highlights how for many in the HIV community, being well is about more than just viral suppression, it’s also about living well. As the number of people who are now growing older with HIV increases, this brings with it a host of new or additional challenges.

Thanks to decades of clinical research, innovation and cross-sector collaboration, HIV has largely become a chronic condition in the UK. The UK has led the way in achieving the UNAIDS targets of 95% of people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, of those with a known HIV diagnosis 95% receiving treatment, and of those receiving treatment 95% having an undetectable viral load.

Reflecting on MSD’s legacy in HIV healthcare, we are united in our commitment to support the Government’s ambition of zero new HIV transmissions by 2030.

GB-NON-06825 | Date of Preparation: December 2022