- 1980
- 1990
- 2000
- 2010
- 2020
- Silent Epidemic
- Understanding & Learning
- Activism
- Advancement
- Reflection
- Momentum
HIV origins
2006: Scientists pinpoint the origin of HIV to chimpanzees living in southern Cameroon.
Toronto AIDS Conference
2006: The Toronto AIDS conference witnesses a vocal backlash against the abstinence approach to HIV prevention.
Abstinence-only programmes
2006: “Abstinence-only programmes don't work. Ideological rigidity almost never works when applied to the human condition. Moreover, it's an antiquated throwback to the conditionality of yesteryear to tell any government how to allocate its money for prevention. That approach has a name: it's called neo-colonialism.”
- Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for HIV in AfricaQuote from Melinda Gates
2006: “In the fight against AIDS, condoms save lives. If you oppose the distribution of condoms, something is more important to you than saving lives.”
Melinda Gates at International AIDS Conference in Toronto
Circumcision
2006: A study finds definitive evidence that male circumcision significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection in men.
USA lifts travel ban
2009: US President Barack Obama announces the end of a 22-year travel and immigration ban on people living with HIV.
Quote from Pope Benedict XVI
March 2009: “A tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems.”
The AIDS epidemic as described by Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to Africa
Keiskamma Guernica
2010: Fifty South African women recreate Pablo Picasso’s Guernica to highlight the devastating effect of the AIDS epidemic on their community.
China travel ban
2010: China lifts a two-decade ban on travel to the country by people living with HIV.
PrEP works
2010: A trial finds that taking a daily pill containing HIV drugs reduces the HIV infection rate by 73%.
CAPRISA microbicides trial
July 2010: A CAPRISA trial shows that microbicides can cut HIV transmission in half.
Treatment as prevention
2011: A clinical trial shows that taking antiretroviral treatment greatly reduces the risk of onward HIV transmission.
Treatment as prevention - game changer
2011: “This breakthrough is a serious game changer and will drive the prevention revolution forward. It makes HIV treatment a new priority prevention option…”
- Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Single tablet treatment
2011: A new antiretroviral treatment that can be taken as a single tablet once a day is approved for use in the United States of America.
Political declaration
2011: World leaders sign a Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, committing to intensify the global response to HIV.
Increasing treatment access
2011: For the first time, more than half of people needing treatment globally are receiving it.
AIDS 2012
2012: The USA hosts the 19th International AIDS Conference, having lifted its travel ban on people living with HIV.
PrEP approved in the USA
2012: PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is approved for use as a prevention option for those most at risk of HIV infection.
Mississippi baby
2013: Doctors in Mississippi announce that a baby born HIV-positive has been ‘cured’.
Mmabatho’s story, South Africa
2014: “I never experienced stigma from him. He was always there, until today.”
Fast-Track
2015: UNAIDS sets out a ‘fast-track’ approach to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, and launches the 90/90/90 targets for 2020.
Treatment for all
2015: New World Health Organization guidelines recommend beginning antiretroviral treatment immediately after HIV diagnosis.
Charlie Sheen
2015: American actor Charlie Sheen announces he is living with HIV.
Millennium Development Goals end
2015: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come to an end and the international community takes stock of what has been achieved.
Sustainable Development Goals
2015: The Sustainable Development Goals are launched – aiming to tackle global inequality, including access to health services.
DATA: San Francisco HIV prevalence
1978 - 1984: Prevalence of HIV antibodies in gay men attending a sexual health clinic in San Francisco.
Origins
Pre-1959: Origins of HIV – HIV is derived from SIV in chimpanzees and apes.
First case
1959: The first confirmed case of HIV is in an African man living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kaposi’s sarcoma
1975: Doctors in Kinshasa notice significant increases in cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma, severe wasting and diarrhoea.
East Africa
1977: Cases of AIDS are retrospectively reported in East Africa
Burundi epidemic
1980: HIV prevalence reaches 7.6% in Bujumbura, Burundi.
First HIV announcement
5 June 1981: The USA’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) makes the first official HIV-related announcement.
Mainstream press coverage
1981: New York Times publishes first mainstream press article on HIV.
UK’s first AIDS case
1981: The UK reports its first recorded case of AIDS, when a gay man recently home from vacation in Miami is admitted to hospital with PCP (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia).
Communities organise
1982: A number of AIDS-specific organisations are set up in the USA to help support and educate affected gay communities.
South Africa's first AIDS cases
1982: The first diagnosed cases of AIDS in South Africa are confirmed.
Terrence Higgins
1982: Terrence Higgins is one of the first people to die of an AIDS-related illness in the UK. A trust is set up in his honour.
Rwanda blood screening
1982: 12% of blood donors in Kigali, Rwanda are infected with HIV.
Defining ‘AIDS’
15 September 1982: ‘AIDS’ is first used and defined by the USA’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
A global epidemic
1982: Australia, Brazil and many countries in Europe announce their first official HIV cases.
‘Slim’ reports
1982: ‘Slim disease’ is reported in Uganda.
First mother-to-child transmission
1982: The USA Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports the first case of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Stigmatising the 4 H’s
1983: The USA Centers for Disease Control causes controversy after defining the main groups at-risk of HIV.
Transmission routes
1983: All known transmission routes that could lead to AIDS are defined by the USA Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
A-typical Kaposi’s Sarcoma
1983: Doctors note unusual outbreaks of Kaposi’s Sarcoma in Central Africa.
Denver Principles
23 May 1983: The Denver Principles mark the start of self-empowerment of people living with HIV.
First global meeting
22 November 1983: The World Health Organization (WHO) holds the first global meeting on AIDS.
LAV discovered
1983: Scientists from the Pasteur Institute in France report the discovery of a new retrovirus, named LAV, that could be the cause of AIDS.
Zaire clues
1983: An international team of scientists travels to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) after reports of possible AIDS cases in the region.
Brazil's early response
1983: Brazil’s first AIDS control programme launches in Sao Paolo.
Needle exchange
1984: The world’s first needle and syringe exchange programme opens in the Netherlands, amid growing concerns about AIDS.
HTLV-III discovered
1984: Scientists from the National Cancer Institute in the USA announce isolation of a virus called HTLV-III, which they say is the cause of AIDS.
San Francisco epidemic
1984: In San Francisco, USA, the proportion of gay men living with HIV rockets.
Project SIDA
1984: Project SIDA launches in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) – the first and largest project on AIDS in Africa.
Thailand's first AIDS cases
1984: Thailand reports its first three cases of AIDS.
Zimbabwe blood screening
1985: Zimbabwe is the first lower income country to introduce universal blood screening for HIV.
Brazil's national AIDS programme
September 1985: The Brazilian government sets up the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) with active participation from civil society.
ELISA test
March 1985: The ELISA test - the first commercial blood test to detect HIV - is approved by the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Atlanta conference
April 1985: The first International AIDS Conference is held in Atlanta, USA.
Mother-to-child transmission
1985: The USA Centres for Disease Control (CDC) issues its first guidance on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HTLV-III/LAV (later known as HIV).
Blood screening
1985: Blood banks begin screening for HIV around the world.
First AIDS cases in India
1986: India reports its first cases of AIDS.
Uganda success
1986: Uganda begins promoting ‘zero-grazing’ and ‘love carefully’ to prevent HIV.
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HIV-2 discovered
1986: The new HIV-2 virus is discovered in West Africa.
HIV named
1986: HIV is given its official name.
First Russian HIV case
1 July 1987: The USSR, now Russia, records its first official case of HIV in a military officer working as a translator in Tanzania.
ACT-UP founded
24 March 1987: Gay rights and treatment activist organisation ACT UP is founded in the USA.
Memorial quilt
1987: The AIDS memorial quilt goes on show for first time in Washington DC – a powerful visual reminder of people who have died of AIDS in the USA.
Australian TV campaign
July 1987: The controversial ‘Grim Reaper’ TV campaign launches in Australia.
UK awareness campaign
1987: The world’s first government-sponsored national AIDS awareness campaign – “AIDS: Don’t Die of Ignorance” – launches in the UK.
AZT approved
March 1987: The first HIV drug – zidovudine (AZT) – is approved for treatment of people living with HIV by the USA Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
Diana breaks stigma
April 1987: Princess Diana shakes hands with a person living with HIV.
Global co-ordination
1987: The World Health Organization launches the Special (later Global) Programme on AIDS.
Zambian appeal
1987: President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia announces that his son has died of AIDS, and appeals to the international community to treat AIDS as a worldwide problem.
UN debate
1987: AIDS is the first ever disease debated at the UN General Assembly, which resolves to mobilise the entire UN system in the worldwide struggle against AIDS, under WHO leadership.
Denialism
1 June 1987: The birth of AIDS Denialism
DATA: Bangkok epidemic
1987 - 1988: HIV infections rates among people who inject drugs in Bangkok increase by 30% in one year.
World AIDS Day
1 December 1988: The first World AIDS Day is held.
African silence
February 1988: "To not be open about AIDS is just ignorant, this is an epidemic. You can only stop it by talking about it-loudly, so that everybody is aware and scared, and they stop the type of behaviour that encourages the spread of this disease."
- Yoweri Museveni
Health for all
1988: “But AIDS remorselessly highlights and exposes the weaknesses, the inadequacies and inequities of our existing health and social systems and the gaps in our knowledge of others and ourselves. In this way, the fight against AIDS has become part – key element – in a broader fight for health – for all.”
– Jonathan Mann, head of the Global Programme on AIDS, speaks at the 4th International AIDS Conference in Geneva.
China’s epidemic
June 1989: China has its first outbreak of HIV among people who inject drugs
USA jails HIV+ Dutch man
1989: A Dutch man living with HIV is jailed for travelling to the USA.
Paediatric treatment
1990: The first HIV treatment is approved for use in children.
Workplace policies
1990: South African mining company Anglo American produces one of the first HIV and AIDS workplace policies.
Cazuza dies
1990: “But if you think that I am defeated, know that I am still rolling the dice; Because time, time doesn’t stop.”
- Cazuza, Brazilian singer-songwriter
Conference boycott
1990: NGOs boycott the 6th International AIDS Conference in the USA due to entry laws on people living with HIV.
Chris Hani, ANC
1 January 1990: “Existing statistics indicate that we are still at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in our country. Unattended, however, this will result in untold damage and suffering by the end of the century.”
- Chris Hani, then-leader of the African National Congress in South Africa
Ryan White dies
9 April 1990: Ryan White – the ‘child face of AIDS’ in the USA who provoked a worldwide movement of compassion for people living with HIV – dies aged 18.
Red ribbon created
1991: Red ribbon is created as a symbol of HIV awareness.
Magic Johnson
1991: US basketball star Magic Johnson announces he is living with HIV.
Freddie Mercury dies
24 November 1991: Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen, dies.
AIDS, don't let it happen
1991: The South African Department of Health launches the 'AIDS, don't let it happen' campaign.
100% Condom Use
1991: Thailand launches “100% Condom Use Campaign”, Asia’s most extensive HIV prevention programme.
Free antiretrovirals in Brazil
1991: Brazil starts the process of buying and distributing free antiretroviral drugs.
Rapid test
August 1991: US Food and Drug Administration approves 10-minute HIV testing kit.
USA implements travel ban
1992: The International AIDS conference moves to the Netherlands because of the USA’s HIV travel and immigration ban.
Elizabeth Glaser, an unlikely activist
1992: “For me, this is not politics. This is a crisis of caring.”
South Africa infections
1993: South Africa’s HIV infections double in one year.
New HIV classification
1993: US revises HIV classification system and AIDS-defining illnesses.
Brazil produces AZT
August 1993: Brazil starts producing a generic version of HIV treatment drug AZT.
Rudolf Nureyev dies
6 January 1993: Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev dies of AIDS-related illnesses.
AIDS Law Project
October 1993: The AIDS Law Project is set up in South Africa to protect the rights of those affected by HIV.
Philadelphia
1993: Philadelphia is the first mainstream big budget Hollywood film made about HIV.
Preventing mother-to-child transmission
1994: AZT approved for prevention of mother-to-child transmission by USA Federal Drug Administration.
Viral load test
1993: The first viral load tests are developed, measuring the level of HIV in the body.
Protease inhibitors
1995: A new type of drug-blocking HIV replication - protease inhibitors - are approved in the USA.
HAART
1996: The era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) begins, with immediate and dramatic benefits for those with access.
Nevirapine approved
1996: The first Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI) drug, Nevirapine, is approved in the US.
UNAIDS launched
1996: UNAIDS is launched to advocate for and co-ordinate global efforts on HIV and AIDS.
Vancouver AIDS Conference
1996: The International AIDS Conference in Vancouver highlights new treatment advances.
Brazil guarantees free treatment
November 1996: Brazil passes a law guaranteeing the right to free, universal access to HIV treatment.
Epidemic in Eastern Europe
March 1997: Evidence increases of a major new HIV epidemic among injecting drug users in Eastern Europe
First combination pill
September 1997: The first combination antiretroviral pill, Combivir, is approved in the USA, greatly simplifying HIV treatment.
Treatment Action Campaign formed
1998: Treatment Action Campaign launches in South Africa to campaign for greater access to HIV treatment for all South Africans.
HIV and the military
1998: The Australian Federal Court upholds the right of the Australian Army to expel a soldier with HIV.
12th International AIDS conference
June 1996: The International AIDS Conference in Geneva reports on the growth of multi-drug resistant strains of HIV.
AIDS a national disaster, says Kenya
1999: “AIDS is not just a serious threat to our social and economic development, it is a real threat to our very existence, and every effort must be made to bring the problem under control.”
- Daniel Arap Moi, President of Kenya
HIV is 4th biggest killer
1999: HIV is the 4th biggest killer globally.
Thailand vaccine trial
1999: First human vaccine trial in a developing country begins in Thailand.
Doris’ story, Ghana
2003: “I’m well. I’m healthy. This is my story.”
- Doris, Ghana
Botswana PMTCT success
2007: Botswana cuts its mother-to-child transmission rate to under 4% - a rate comparable with the USA and Western Europe.
End of AIDS denialism in South Africa
September 2008: South African President Thabo Mbeki steps down, ending an era of government AIDS denialism.
Universal treatment access
2009: Rwanda achieves universal access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for adults.
India decriminalises homosexuality
2009: In a landmark human rights ruling, India overturns a 150-year-old law banning homosexuality.
Transgender rights in Pakistan
2009: Pakistan’s Supreme Court recognises transgender people’s rights.
Antiretroviral treatment in Africa
2012: The number of people in Africa receiving antiretroviral treatment increases from less than 1 million in 2005 to over 7 million in 2012.
VOICE trial
2013: The VOICE trial fails to prove PrEP and microbicide gel are effective in protecting women in Africa from HIV.
AIDS-related deaths fall
2007: The number of AIDS-related deaths falls for the first time from 2 million in 2006 to 1.9 million in 2007.
PARTNER study
2014: PARTNER study finds no HIV transmission when an HIV-positive partner has an undetectable viral load.
PROUD study
2015: A study proves that PrEP can effectively protect gay men in the UK from HIV.
TRIPS agreement and generics
1999: The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is signed making the production of generics more difficult.
Treatment in Brazil
1999: Fifteen antiretroviral drugs are available free of charge from the Ministry of Health in Brazil.
China condom advert
1999: China’s first television advert for condoms is broadcast on World AIDS Day, but banned two days later.
Mbeki AIDS denialism
2000: “We need to look at the question that is posed, understandably I suppose: does HIV cause AIDS? AIDS the acronym stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Now I do believe that is a sensible thing to ask: does one virus cause a syndrome? A virus cannot cause a syndrome. A virus will cause a disease.”
– Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, National Assembly, September 2000.
Brazilian generics law
1999: The Brazilian Government begins producing generic antiretroviral drugs, lowering the cost of HIV treatment.
Nkosi Johnson
July 9 1999: “We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. We can walk. We can talk. We have needs just like everyone else – don't be afraid of us – we are all the same!”
– 11-year old Nkosi Johnson, International AIDS Conference, Durban
Nelson Mandela, Durban
2000: “A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding in Africa. AIDS today in Africa is claiming more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods, and the ravages of such deadly diseases as malaria.” – Nelson Mandela at the International AIDS Conference, Durban.
Durban AIDS conference
July 2000: Amid AIDS denialism, the Durban AIDS conference highlights the huge disparity in access to treatment between developed and developing countries.
Pharma deal
2000: UNAIDS announces negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry on treatment pricing.
Millennium Development Goals
2000: United Nations members adopt the Millennium Development Goals, with a specific goal to halt and reverse the spread of HIV.
Gates Foundation
2000: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is started by the Microsoft billionaire and his wife, with HIV a key focus.
USA and Brazil pharma feud
2001: US complains to the World Trade Organization about Brazil pressurising pharmaceutical companies to lower antiretroviral prices.
Nucleic acid testing
2001: The first Nucleic Acid Test is licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration, shortening testing window periods.
Generic drugs
2001: Indian drug manufacturer Cipla offers $350 HIV treatment, raising pressure on pharmaceuticals to cut prices.
Botswana highlights fears
June 2001: “We are threatened with extinction. People are dying in chillingly high numbers. It is a crisis of the first magnitude.”
- President Festus Mogae of Botswana.
Global Fund
2001: The new Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria starts work, raising and investing money to defeat the three diseases.
Doha Declaration
November 2001: World Trade Organization members confirm that the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement allows flexibility for compulsory licensing of HIV treatment.
Botswana PMTCT programme
2001: Botswana rolls out a national programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Caribbean epidemic
2001: The Pan Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) is established as HIV becomes the number one cause of death for 15-44 year-olds.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s burden
2002: HIV becomes the leading killer of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nevirapine in South Africa
2002: South African activists win a court case forcing the government to provide HIV drug nevirapine to HIV-positive pregnant women.
UNAIDS 3 by 5 initiative
2003: The ‘3 by 5’ initiative aims to provide antiretroviral treatment (ART) to 3 million people living in developing countries.
Botswana’s treatment programme
2002: Botswana becomes the first African country to launch a national antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme.
China’s President visits HIV clinic
December 2003: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao shakes hands with a person living with HIV.
PEPFAR established
2003: PEPFAR is created, pumping billions more dollars into the fight against the global epidemic.
South Africa treatment programme
2004: South Africa launches its national HIV and AIDS treatment programme thanks to TAC activism.
Nelson Mandela's son dies
6 January 2006: Nelson Mandela announces that his son has died of AIDS-related illnesses.
Big Pharma sues South Africa
April 2001: A coalition of pharmaceutical giants sues South Africa over generics law, but eventually backs down.
South African generics
2001: GlaxoSmithKline gives Combivir away in South Africa.
USA funding row
2005: Brazil turns down funding from the USA, which demands a stance against prostitution.
Clinton issues executive order
10 May 2000: In an executive order, US President Bill Clinton promises that the USA will not interfere with African countries which violate American patent laws to obtain cheaper antiretroviral drugs.
DATA: Donor funding by country
2015: HIV funding from the USA dwarfs funding from other donor countries - although some countries contribute more when compared to their population and GDP.
DATA: Botswana life expectancy
1990 - 2014: Average life expectancy across many parts of sub-Saharan Africa plummets as a result of the HIV epidemic. But after generics become available, countries start antiretroviral programmes which bring about improvements in life expectancy.
DATA: South Africa life expectancy
1990 - 2014: Average life expectancy across many parts of sub-Saharan Africa plummets as a result of the HIV epidemic. But after generics become available, countries start antiretroviral programmes which bring about improvements in life expectancy.
DATA: Donor funding by channel
2008: The years 2002-2008 see a significant increase in funding for the global HIV response from donor governments. However, since then funding has more or less flat-lined.
DATA: Generic competition affects drug prices
May 2000 - August 2001: In 2001, Indian generic drug manufacturer Cipla announces that it will sell a generic copy of a triple-therapy antiretroviral (ARV) for US $350 per patient per year. This has an incredible impact.
DATA: HIV in the Ukraine
2001 - 2014: Like many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the HIV epidemic is largely driven by injecting drug use. But an active civil society in the Ukraine has had major success in turning around the epidemic among people who inject drugs.
DATA: New infections in children
1990 - 2015: New HIV infections among children peaked at half a million in 2001. The advent of antiretroviral treatment and the roll-out of prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes has cut the number of new infections.
DATA: HIV infections averted by PMTCT programmes
2000 - 2014: Between 2000 and 2014, an estimated 1.3 million new HIV infections have been averted by prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes in all low- and middle-income countries.
DATA: Botswana PMTCT
2001: Botswana rolls out a national programme to prevent pregnant women living with HIV from passing the virus to their child.
Harm reduction works
2008: Ukraine and the Philippines highlight the effects of differing drug policies on HIV prevention among people who inject drugs.
Thailand's war on drugs
2004: Protests at the 2004 AIDS conference highlight the Thai government's repression of people who inject drugs, driving them away from prevention services
'Patient Zero'
1987: 'Patient Zero' is widely publicised by the media as the source of the AIDS epidemic in the USA.
'And the Band Played On' is released
1987: Seminal book 'And the Band Played on: Politics, People and the AIDS epidemic', by San Francisco journalist Randy Shilts, is published.
First WHO breastfeeding guidelines
1987: The WHO publishes the first official global guidelines on breastfeeding and HIV risk.
TASO and home-based care
1987: Ugandan AIDS organisation TASO established – a pioneer in home-based care.
Western Blot
1987: FDA approves the Western blot blood test – a more specific test for HIV.
More than 70,000 AIDS cases
1987: More than 70,000 AIDS cases have been reported to the WHO, with an estimated five to 10 million people infected worldwide.
Buyers clubs
1987: The first buyers club for AIDS drugs is set-up in New York.
FDA Treatment Access Act
1987: In response to advocacy from people with AIDS, the FDA puts in place regulations to make experimental drugs available to those who have no other options.
Second HIV drug pre-approved
1989: Dideoxyinosine (ddl) is pre-approved by the FDA for treatment of people with AIDS.
Treatment trial breakthrough
1989: Clinical trial ACTG019 shows that treatment with AZT (zidovudine) can delay the onset of AIDS.
Grandmas in sub-Saharan Africa
2000: In sub-Saharan Africa, relatives carry the burden of care for children and the sick.
AIDS orphans in southern Africa
2009: In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 10% of all children are left orphaned by AIDS.
Children orphaned by AIDS
2009: The number of children newly orphaned by AIDS peaks at 15,000,000.
Berlin patient
2007: Timothy Ray Brown appears to rid himself of HIV after a stem cell transplant from a donor naturally resistant to HIV, raising hopes for a cure.
AVERT founded
1986: AVERT is founded by Annabel and Peter Kanabus.
First AVERT projects
1986: The first two AVERT projects are funded.
Parliamentary recognition for AVERT
1987: UK Parliament praises pioneering HIV medical research funded by AVERT.
AVERT's Information Service
1988: AVERT's Information Service is established to answer questions about HIV and AIDS.
AVERT's first publication
1989: AVERT publishes first booklet, 'AIDS and Young People'.
Women talking about AIDS
1990: AVERT publishes groundbreaking booklet telling the personal stories of women affected by HIV and AIDS.
Half a million copies
1992: AVERT's ‘AIDS: Working with Young People' is published over half a million times.
UK Medical Research Council recognises AVERT contribution
1990: "Education for the general public and for people infected with HIV and their carers is a vital cornerstone of our strategy against AIDS. This must be backed by a programme of high quality, well-directed research. I should like to express my appreciation of the contribution which AVERT is making in this area." - Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth Calman.
Drug use in prisons
1993: AVERT's new focus on risky behaviours.
Publications programme
1994: AVERT's publications programme is producing and distributing more than 600,000 leaflets, booklets and manuals a year.
Stand Up to HIV
2014: The ‘Stand Up to HIV’ campaign is launched to dispel fears and get more people testing for HIV.
‘Young Gay Men Talking’
1995: AVERT publishes ‘Young Gay Men Talking’.
Information Standard
2015: AVERT becomes a certified member of the Information Standard, a UK National Health Service (NHS) accreditation that recognises trustworthy health information.
AVERT goes digital
1995: AVERT launches its first website.
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AVERT scholarships
1997: AVERT launches studentship scheme.
AVERT stops printed publications
2001: AVERT's long-standing printed publications programme comes to an end.
AVERT's overseas programme
2000: AVERT begins funding overseas HIV projects in the hardest-hit countries.
Sisonke
2005: Sisonke Project is established.
New AVERT website
2015: A redesign and re-launch of AVERT.org takes place, with more targeted content for public and professional audiences.
First Date Sex Fail
2014: AVERT's 'Update Your Status' campaign launches with new video.
Nominet Award
2012: AVERT wins the prestigious Nominet Internet Award under the ‘Online Training and Education’ category, in association with the British Library.
FIFA World Cup
2010: ‘World Cup: the Other South Africa’ video launches.
Universal access
2009: World AIDS Day 2009 – ‘Universal Access’ campaign video.
BMA Award
2005: AVERT.org wins first prize in the British Medical Association Patient Information Awards.
The return to Durban
2016: After 16 years, the International AIDS conference returns to Durban, South Africa, showing that limited progress has been made.
Sounding the alarm
2016: “Complacency is the new conspiracy—and it must be broken!"
- Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS
Cuba eradicates mother-to-child transmission
2013: Cuba becomes the first country to eliminate transmission of HIV from mother to baby.
Stories from Zambia
2005: Zambia: seven stories of hope.
Surging epidemic in Eastern Europe
2015: New HIV infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia surge by 57% between 2010 and 2015
Ending mother-to-child transmission
2011: The Global Plan is launched to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015.
Harm reduction services for drug users
1985: Lord Fowler introduces harm reduction services for drug users in the UK to stop the spread of HIV.
UK's call to action
2003: The UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, launches a national call to action.
'Three Ones' agreed
2004: The UK, US and UNAIDS host a meeting that agrees on three 'ones' to better co-ordinate the global HIV and AIDS response.
Gleneagles 2005
2005: The UK hosts the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, and secures commitment to universal access to treatment for all by 2010.
UK strategy for achieving universal access
2008: The Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, launches the UK’s strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world.
Towards zero infections
2011: The Department for International Development launches the UK’s position paper on HIV in the developing world, ‘Towards Zero Infections’.
UK hosts meeting on universal access in Southern and Eastern Africa
2010: Representatives from Southern and Eastern Africa convene at Westminster to review progress against the 2005 commitment to universal access.
London declaration on AIDS prevention
1988: A summit of health ministers in London breaks taboos and results in an important declaration pushing for shared information, education and human rights.
UK doubles Global Fund contribution
2001: The UK doubles funding for HIV and AIDS internationally, pledging $200 million to the Global Fund
Tuberculosis leading killer
2015: Tuberculosis (TB) surpasses HIV to become the world's leading infectious disease killer.
Medicines Patent Pool
2010: UNITAID creates the Medicines Patent Pool
US President Ronald Reagan first mentions AIDS
September 1985: President Reagan breaks his silence on the AIDS epidemic in the United States of America (USA).
First organ transplant between people with HIV
2016: The first organ transplant between a HIV positive donor and recipient is carried out in the United States of America (USA).
PEP
April 2005: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) approves the use of Post-exposure Prophylaxis in the general public for the first time.
Kami: the first muppet with HIV
2002: Takalani Sesame debuts the world’s first HIV-positive muppet.
Win for PrEP funding battle
2016: The British Court of Appeals rules that the National Health Service is able to pay for Pre-exposure prophylaxis.
DATA: HIV prevalence in men who have sex with men
2016: Estimates predict that half of all black gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime (in the USA)
North America’s first AIDS case
1969: Robert Rayford, a teenager from Missouri, dies from a mysterious illness later confirmed to be AIDS related.
Ban on surgeons with HIV lifted
2014: UK government lifts a ban that prohibited doctors with HIV from performing surgeries.
Ugandan campaign
2007: Uganda launches nationwide campaign against intergenerational sex.
Self-testing in Southern Africa
2015 - 2017: Unitaid launches a four year programme to kick-start self-testing in Africa.
Undetectable = Untransmittable
2017: HIV organisations across the globe endorse Undetectable = Untransmittable a statement declaring that individuals with suppressed viral loads cannot pass on HIV
London patient
2019: Second person cleared of HIV following bone marrow transplant.
International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam
2018: Discussion focuses on those left behind
Dolutegravir (DTG) and women’s right to choose
2018: DTG debate brings into question women’s power to make decisions about their reproductive health.
DREAMS initiative
2015: The DREAMS initiative is established to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa.
PARTNER2 study confirms U=U message
2018: PARTNER2 trial results confirm that gay men can also benefit from U=U.
ECHO trial results
2019: The ECHO trial finds no increased HIV risk in HIV-negative women using Depo-Provera compared to other contraceptives.
WHO recommends dolutegravir (DTG) as preferred HIV treatment
2019: Based on new evidence, the WHO recommends DTG as the preferred first-line and second-line treatment for all populations, including pregnant women.
Climate change and HIV
2019: Increasing evidence emerges about the impact of climate change on the HIV epidemic.
HIV self-testing – evidence update
2019: After recommending self-testing as an effective way to reach more people with HIV, the WHO issues an updated policy brief to optimise its implementation.
International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy
2019: A new set of international legal standards are released to reshape the response to the world drug problem.
PopART study primary results
2019: Primary results from the largest community-randomised trial of the universal HIV test-and-treat strategy find that treatment alone is unlikely to end the epidemic.
Global Fund pledges US$14 billion to fight AIDS, TB and malaria
2019: Donors at the Global Fund’s Six Replenishment Conference in Lyon, France pledge US$14.02 billion for the next three years to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030.
Oldest known person with HIV dies at 100
2019: The oldest documented person living with HIV, known as ‘The Lisbon Patient’, dies at age 100.
Global PrEP roll-out
2019: Approximately 380,000-385,000 people have started PrEP globally, however roll-out remains slow and uneven.
Rise in drug-resistant HIV
2019: The WHO HIV drug resistance report shines a light on the emerging threat of HIV drug resistance and recommends the use of dolutegravir in countries where resistance is already prevalent.
2+2+1
2019: Following trial results from the Prévenir study, the WHO updates its guidance for PrEP in men who have sex with men to include event-driven PrEP in addition to daily PrEP.
Progress towards 2020 Fast-Track targets
2019: Countries show mixed results towards meeting the 2020 Fast-Track approach deadline.
Boost community health workers’ hub
2020: Avert launches Boost, its HIV hub for community health workers.
Young Voices Africa
2018: Avert launches Young Voices Africa, an interactive series for young people covering a range of topics on sexual health and relationships.
Gay Health series
2018: Avert and Hornet develop a series of targeted information videos for gay and bisexual men.
Talking HIV
2017: Avert develops ‘Talking HIV’, a series of real-life conversations between people who have been affected by HIV.
HIV risk and COVID-19
2021: Evidence suggests that people living with HIV have a higher risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.
Injectable treatments approved by NICE
2021: Injectable HIV treatment is approved for use in some countries.
Failing children with HIV
2021: Only 54% of children living with HIV are on treatment
New 95-95-95 targets set
2021: UNAIDS announces its 2025 targets, called the 95-95-95
UNAIDS announces 10-10-10 targets
2021: 10-10-10 targets aim to address inequalities
From knowledge to action
2021: AVERT launches its new 2021-2024 strategy
19 countries achieve 90-90-90 targets
2021: The UNAIDS 2021 report shows that 19 countries achieved the 90–90–90 targets by 2020.
UNAIDS global update 2021 highlights inequalities
2021: Key populations and their sexual partners account for 65% of new HIV infections but are largely left out of both HIV and COVID-19 responses
Be in the KNOW
2022: Avert launches Be in the KNOW, a new digital sexual health and HIV brand with trusted, engaging and sex positive content
COVID-19 stalls global HIV progress
2022: Progress in the global response to HIV and AIDS stalls due to COVID-19 and economic and humanitarian crises.
Zimbabwe approves injectable PrEP
2022: Zimbabwe becomes the first country in Africa – and the third in the world – to approve injectable, long-acting, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
HIV response and the war in Ukraine
2022: Fears rise for Ukraine’s HIV response after Russia invades Ukraine and millions of refugees flee the country.
Monkeypox international public health emergency declared
2022: the World Health Organization declares an international public health emergency as monkeypox outbreaks spread
New combined PrEP and contraceptive pill could be a gamechanger
2022: A new pill for women that prevents pregnancy and HIV to be assessed in Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.