HIV is fuelled by and exacerbates poverty.

It affects life expectancy and quality of life, access to education, livelihoods and access to human rights for those infected and affected by the disease.

Without dealing with its impact Millennium Development Goals are unlikely to be achieved.

Some countries have managed to reduce the incidence and prevalence of HIV significantly.

Over the 25 years of the epidemic, we have learned that it is possible to work towards impact mitigation of the epidemic through treatment, social interventions and care programmes.

We now need concerted efforts to work towards achieving the Universal Access Targets, for all countries, sexes and populations.

Yet climate change threatens food security, resources such as water and arable land, migration and further denial of rights.  These are effects which could fuel the HIV epidemic.

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IDLS can help organisations and governments to identify existing and potential new drivers of the epidemic and work towards designing appropriate responses.