• TOMORROW, Friday December 1, is World Aids Day*.

North London has two of the UK’s most respected treatment centres the Mortimer Market attached to UCLH and the Ian Charleson at the Royal Free Hospital.

A new generation of doctors like Laura Waters and Tristan Barber are delivering outstanding holistic care and many of our local GPs support patients with HIV.

HIV continues to affect millions world wide, there is still stigma and discrimination and, as we have seen from the Infected Blood Inquiry, that pain can be long-lasting and very raw.

Thousands of people in London and across the world are receiving anti-retroviral therapy supported by research over the years at our local clinics.

It’s often said HIV infection is more like a chronic disease these days, but the impact on individuals varies and we now see the effects of long-term treatment on an aging population.

Let’s remember one of the last acts of the Labour government in bringing in the Equality Act which protects people with HIV from the date of their diagnosis and compare it with the ever harsher approach to supporting people living with disabilities from the current government. They brought in much more rigorous assessment but it’s not enough, they attack and weaponise disability.

Finally London is doing really well to end HIV infection under Fast-Track Cities (www.fast-trackcities.org); the Labour mayor and public health director Kevin Fenton are driving this goal using pre and post exposure treatment. The Royal Free have led on opt-out testing in A&E which is catching late and unknown diagnosis.

HIV affects many communities. In Camden, as young gay men moved to the city 40 years ago and were swept up in nightlife, culture and politics, they faced a new disease and harsh moral judgment from the media, government, and society.

Many suffered homophobic abuse and too many died. Let’s remember them and always fight whether in our daily lives or supporting Labour into government for a better and more caring world.

* World Aids Day, National Aids Trust, “wear the red ribbon for people with HIV”.
#RockTheRibbon https://worldaidsday.org/fundraising/

MARK, WC1