World AIDS Day: Remembering the Importance of Committing to Community Leadership

By Valerie Rochester – CHC Chief Health Equity Officer

December 1st marks the 35th annual commemoration of World AIDS Day. Every year, on this day, we are surrounded by wide-ranging messages from governments, organizations, community leaders and individuals, asking us to remember those who we have lost, encouraging us to stay strong as we continue to move through this epidemic. We are encouraged and motivated us to retain hope and faith in biomedical interventions; prevention, care and treatment strategies; programming and services that are all central to reducing rates of new HIV infections in our communities.

This year the two most prominent World AIDS Day themes – Let Communities Lead (UNAIDS) and Remember and Commit (HIV.gov) each have their own significance and special meaning…. because they each speak the truth.

Let Communities Lead
Many of us know and widely recognize that community leaders, community members and people with lived experience with HIV have been at the forefront of this movement for decades. However, it bears repeating and reminding that, as with any issue or challenge that impacts the lives of people in communities, those who are closest to the issue, and who are most affected by the issue, are essential in developing and driving meaningful and mindful strategies to address the issue.

Just as essential as having communities lead, is ensuring that communities are sufficiently supported with the information, tools and resources needed to lead – financial, political, medical, educational, and data-informed resources that should be afforded any community working to bridge the gap to improve health outcomes in their own backyards. CHC’s mission to create healthier communities is one with communities at the forefront. We believe in equipping communities to make progress that enables its members to live their longest, healthiest lives.

Remember and Commit
Every year, I remember and every year I recommit by adding my voice to the many messages out there; continuing the conversation and sharing the importance of preserving our bodily autonomy…. another essential element for reducing risk of contracting HIV.

We are faced with so many challenges to keep the rights that are essential to making decisions that affect our health and well-being, including the ability to reduce risk of HIV infection. As a result, there has never been a better time for us to look at the words Remember and Commit, and figure out how we can, individually and collectively, embrace these words and make them part of our renewed commitment to continue in this work and in this movement.

Commitment simply means we decide to do something and do our best to stick with it. On this day, our decision starts with a commitment to ourselves and to our communities. As the leaders we all are, we not only have to handle our own issues when it comes to our health, but we also must ensure others have the support needed to do the same.

On this day and every day, let us be thoughtful and intentional in the type of impact we want to have in life and in the lives of others…and remember that solutions start with the commitment to have communities lead! See below for a list of CHC nonprofit partners focused on HIV/AIDS research, services, and support.

Valerie Rochester

CHC Chief Health Equity Officer