Endless hours of research and social action, disheartening figures, destroyed families, stigmatized persons and communities, tears of anger and incomprehension. HIV’s legacy is deeply marked by devastation, sorrow and hopelessness. In its less than 30 years of history, this lethal virus has infected millions of people and it has proved that its power of destruction does not know about borders, races, origins or sexualities. Last Tuesday, 1st of December, World AIDS Day, was a reminder that there is still much to do, although there is already much that is being done.

Long years of research followed the detection of the first cases of HIV/AIDS, back in 1981. Although in the beginning AIDS was clinically observed in no more than five cases, much more would increasingly appear soon thereafter. Now, 28 years later, HIV/AIDS has already caused the death of more than 25 million people and it has destroyed innumerable lives in absolutely every country in the world. Men and women of all ages, races and sexualities from every corner of the planet are suffering from a disease of immense medical, social and political impact and repercussions.

Despite all the advances concerning not only the therapy or the prevention, but also the studies on the nature and origin of both HIV and AIDS, the puzzle is not yet complete: many pieces are still lacking and others do not fit properly. Many thesises try to explain the origin a one of the most obscure diseases of human history, although none of them seems to create a general consensus amongst researchers. Furthermore, while it is generally assumed that AIDS is the direct consequence of HIV, many scientists still question such assumption, offering more or less sustained theories that make this mainstream explanation teeter. As a consequence, there is no consensus on the most appropriate approach to be adopted as regards the therapy, with many researchers presenting different complementary or conflicting views on the issue.

Even though considerable discrepancies currently obstruct – or clear – the path towards universally accepted and scientifically supported explanations for this destructive illness, HIV transmission and prevention have been discovered long ago. It was precisely its transmission what immediately made certain groups vulnerable to a society fighting to get excluded from this disease. For this reason, many conservative organizations, associations and even political parties stigmatized those that they considered to be targeted by HIV without any real knowledge on the issue. Ironically, and together with the Catholic Church, they would also frequently be those opposing one of the most effective ways of prevention: the use of the condom. In this regard, it is often affirmed and indeed difficult to deny that HIV/AIDS has crossed the border of science to become more a socio-political than a medical terrible phenomenon.

While Scientists carry on with their research, most governments publicly commit themselves to donate bigger or smaller amounts of money. However, these donations not always take place and, furthermore, they do not meet the needs of the millions of people currently living with HIV at all. Moreover, the humanitarian and economic aid do not tend to reach those who need it more desperately, who usually live in Sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s most affected region. For this reason, many companies and organisations focus on helping this dramatically affected part of the world, which is frequently condemned to absolute ostracism. In some cases, they join forces and give birth to networks of solidarity that can become significantly famous, Product Red being the clearest instance.

The challenging fight against HIV/AIDS not only requires a great commitment from governments, companies and organisations; it requires a great commitment from us all, everywhere and at any moment. Indeed, December has to begin every day of the year if we want to put an end to this destructive and lamentable disease. |