We’re only a few months past the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, but June 2021 marked the 40-year anniversary of another global epidemic – HIV/AIDS. It is a great privilege to look back at how far science and medicine have come over the decades. But, when we take a step back, we can see that the world’s response to COVID-19 was vastly different to its initial reaction to HIV/AIDS; the latter was marked with fear, prejudice, and blatant ignorance that prevented early and decisive action.
Though our understanding may be significantly better than it was 40 years ago, the fight is far from over – from the absence of an approved vaccine to the lingering presence of stigma, there is work to be done in all corners of the scientific community.
Below, we take a look at the key milestones from the past few decades of our understanding and battle against HIV and AIDS.
Newsletters
Receive the latest pathology news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.
