Health inequities continue to fuel the HIV epidemic in Europe. Uneven access to and availability of prevention, testing and treatment programs, awareness campaigns that ignore affected populations, and public policies that overlook the needs of vulnerable communities are blocking Europe’s progress toward reaching the UNAIDS goal of ending HIV by 2030.

Five years from the UNAIDS deadline, progress is needed: what got us here won’t get us to 2030. Prioritization, investment and collaboration to support innovative treatment, prevention and service options will sustain long-term success for people living with HIV.

For this photo essay, POLITICO Studio spent time with two people living with HIV: Andréa Mestre, a mother of three in France, and Oğuzhan Nuh, a Turkish migrant who journeyed through Europe to find a safe space. They are sharing their experiences to shift the representation of those living with HIV and call for inclusive HIV prevention and care policies within Europe's borders, leaving no one behind.

If we continue to build on our current political momentum, Europe could be the first region to end HIV by 2030. Let’s make it a legacy of the next European Commission and Parliament.

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