2020 was a tough year, here’s how Life4me+ helped

Last year started out on a high for Life4me+. In the wake of our successful NoHIVstigma campaign the organisation made a promise to continue our advocacy on HIV. But as we all know, 2020 didn’t go to plan. The pandemic brought travel bans, lockdown orders, quarantines and home working instead.

In the first few weeks of the pandemic, the Life4me+ team revised the year’s plans and identified to priority work areas achievable given the restrictions placed upon society. The first area of work is the dissemination of verified information about COVID-19 and HIV, the second is helping people living with HIV who are stranded abroad without access to their medications.

In March 2020, a dedicated section of our website was launched – this section would be the home for all COVID-19 and HIV related Q&As and clinical information. By the end of 2020, this page had more than 50,000 views. It continues to be updated with the latest information of research, vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and advice for people living with HIV.

From mid-March, Life4me+ began to receive the first requests for help from tourists in difficult situations, shortly followed by migrant labourers stranded abroad. Requests came in from all over the world, with a peak in requests in April and May of 2020. Thanks to the help of activists, healthcare workers and partners from different countries, including ITPCru; EACS; EATG; UNAIDS; WHO and AFEW, more than 1,000 people received assistance and were able to resume HIV treatment in this difficult period.

The coronavirus pandemic is still far from over, so Life4me+ continues to lend a hand to others. Our motto for 2020 and heading into 2021 has been “Make sure no-one is left behind. Ensure access to therapy for all people in need.”

Life4me+ continues to operate across all forms of media and information technology. For more information please read our annual report for 2020.