CIVICUS speaks about HIV response in Africa with Samuel Matsikure, Key Populations Lead at Aidsfonds. Aidsfonds led the Love Alliance global partnership, which operated from 2021 to 2025 and worked to raise awareness, challenge criminalisation and support a global HIV response.
HIV remains a major global public health and human rights issue, disproportionately affecting excluded communities, including LGBTQI+ people, sex workers and people who use drugs. Criminalisation, discrimination and stigma block access to prevention, treatment and care, while punitive laws and repression undermine organising, funding and advocacy. Love Alliance was created to confront these barriers. It supported community-led organisations to build power, access resources and drive legal and policy change. By strengthening grassroots leadership and civic space, Love Alliance made the HIV response a fight for rights, accountability and long-term structural change.
