1987-2001: Activism

As the HIV epidemic continued to grow, battles were fought across several fronts to try to ensure that the people most affected and marginalised were kept at the heart of the HIV response and that their human rights were respected. Most notable was the fight for treatment options and access – a battle entrenched in stigma, corporate greed and political inaction.

The early AIDS movement was characterised by some successful campaigning and advocacy. In the 1980s this was led by groups of gay men in developed countries who lobbied for action from their governments to find ways to halt deaths in their communities.

In the late 1990s, the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) saw activists gain a new focus - pharmaceutical companies. Campaigners were now fighting to make treatment accessible for the world’s poorest people as well as those in rich nations.