Advocacy in Uncertain Times: A Call to Action

These are hectic times. There is more information coming at all of us than at any time in human history. And in many parts of the world, that information raises cause for alarm or concern. There are multiple top-priority issues. Many things need attention right now.

How, then, do we advocate for an HIV vaccine, which will not be available until into the 2020s, at the earliest? We advance a near-, mid- and long-term agenda with passion and precision. Moreover, advocates—the “we” invoked throughout this piece—can do this work with more confidence than ever. The history of the response to many other epidemics tells us that an effective preventive vaccine is essential. An epidemic can be controlled with treatment and other prevention—just as HIV is coming under control today. But a sustained end has almost always depended on a vaccine. This year on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, our core message is simple: No end without a vaccine; no vaccine without funding.