Humanising and optimising HIV health care for refugees and asylum seekers

Abstract

Displaced populations living with HIV, including refugees and asylum seekers, face substantial challenges across various regions globally. The intersection of forced migration and HIV presents both shared challenges and region-specific differences. Key issues include little access to health care, pervasive stigma, discrimination, and disruptions in the continuity of HIV care. Refugees often encounter barriers such as legal, cultural, and economic disparities that impact their overall health outcomes. Although HIV prevalence differs across regions, displaced populations consistently face disproportionate challenges including high-risk environments and little health-care access. Addressing these challenges requires a focus on equitable health-care access, with both actionable local interventions and broader global policy changes and an emphasis on long-term sustainability. Reliable and continuous drug supplies, interagency collaboration, and holistic health-care approaches are essential. International collaboration, robust evidence generation, and comprehensive responses are urgently needed to address the complex interplay between forced migration and HIV among vulnerable populations.