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The Front for the Health of People Living with HIV—comprised of various organizations—is demanding urgent action to address the shortage of medications, reagents, and condoms. In a demonstration outside the National Ministry of Health, they denounced the government's absence in prevention and treatment policies. The minister promised to meet with them either today or tomorrow.

Forming a Front for the Health of People Living with HIV and taking to the streets again. That was the premise that emerged in Argentina on December 1st, World AIDS Day, when, once again, various organizations raised the alarm about shortages of medications , testing reagents, and condoms, among other deficiencies. The organizations decided to join forces and declare a national emergency due to the State's absence of public policies for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Currently, there are 120,000 people living with HIV in the country, of whom 30% are unaware of their diagnosis, according to figures from the National Ministry of Health.

“For a long time, the HIV movement hadn't been out on the streets for HIV. We were out protesting gender violence and partisan politics. HIV issues were being addressed through other channels. There was a different dialogue with the previous government. That's why, on December 1st, at the “Positive Cycle” at Casa Brandon, the idea for this came about,” Mariana Iacono, founder of Rajap (Argentine Network of Young People Living with HIV) and member of the International Community of Women with HIV, told Presentes .

The first action taken by the Front was to hold a public assembly yesterday at four in the afternoon in front of the National Ministry of Health, located in the City of Buenos Aires. There, in the heart of the city, more than two hundred people blocked the street to personally deliver their demands to Health Minister Jorge Lemus. However, he was not in the building. After reading the document, which compiled demands and data, several people spoke to share their experiences and those of their organizations, both in the City and in other parts of the country.

“I’m here because my mom lives with HIV. I recently learned that you don’t say ‘carrier,’ because you carry it, you carry it, you carry it. She stopped treatment for a while, and now that she wants to resume it, there’s no medication. Like my mom, there are many people suffering from this. I’m 20 now, and I’ve known about her diagnosis for six years. I’m here because this affects me very closely. My mom is my life, and I need her. I need everyone to have this opportunity, to be able to move forward,” said a young woman, her voice breaking with emotion.

“Without delay, medication now!” chanted those present, accompanying the testimonies. At the assembly, a delegation was chosen, and five people, representing the Network of Women Living with HIV, the Argentine Network of Positive Youth (Rajap), the Buenos Aires Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, the Association of Transvestites, Transsexuals, and Transgender People of Argentina (ATTTA), and the Association of Sex Workers of Argentina (AMMAR), entered the Ministry. There, they were received by an employee of the Minister's private secretary, who promised to meet with them soon. This meeting is expected to take place sometime between today and tomorrow.

“In some provinces, our colleagues are reporting delays in accessing medication. They tell us they can’t do prevention work in sex work areas because when they go to pick up condoms from national AIDS programs, the programs themselves tell them they’ve already bought more and there are no refills. For us, condoms are our essential tool, so we’re joining the fight because we need to be able to get back to work. This hasn’t happened since 2000,” Georgina Orellano, general secretary of AMMAR, told Presentes .

"A setback of 20 years in public policy"

Along the same lines, Ornella Infante, coordinator of ATTTA, added: “We see how the State is failing to be present in the lives of our sisters. Not only those living with HIV, but also other populations with tuberculosis. The lack of medication is compounded by the lack of condoms. All of this is causing our sisters to die. The day before yesterday, a sister died in Neuquén, and yesterday another sister died in Tucumán.”

For Edgardo Cscorts, of the Positive Adults Network (RAP), in addition to feeling "a 20-year setback in public policy," the return to the past is even more evident in the fact that some medical centers are reverting to the medication AZT. "It's a drug that was prescribed a long time ago and has many contraindications. Those who took it had their lives complicated by its side effects. I've been living with the virus for 28 years, and it seems unbelievable that we're still facing the same struggles as at the beginning," he told Presentes .

Matías Muñoz, a member of Rajap, told Presentes that they were satisfied with the Assembly. He also warned that if the government doesn't respond between today and tomorrow as promised, they will continue to demand action as many times as necessary. The streets are already occupied, and there's a new event: the next gathering of the Front for the Health of People with HIV is at the "Amor sí" Festival this Saturday the 17th in Centenario Park.

What is being demanded of the national government?

(Excerpts from the document submitted to the Ministry)

-“Response to the lack of medication. Regularization of delays in the delivery of antiretrovirals. Changes in protocols, schedules, deliveries, and other barriers jeopardize our health and our response to the virus. Regularization of the delivery of medication for tuberculosis treatment.”

"Response to the shortage of reagents. People with HIV or AIDS must undergo follow-up appointments to see how their health is progressing and whether the medication is working. This is the only way we have to know the state of our health in relation to HIV."

-“Purchase and continuous supply in the delivery of condoms, which is a violation of Sexual and Reproductive Rights.”

“We need a new law that updates the 1990 law, including children and adolescents, a human rights approach, and definitively prohibiting and penalizing HIV testing as a means of accessing employment without discrimination. On November 15, the bill, which had been worked on for over two years, was left without a committee report by members of Congress who walked out of the debate, breaking quorum and asking for more time,” the organizers denounced.