COVID-19 has affected lives and livelihoods since the first cases were reported. In addition to its impact on supply chains and demand, the pandemic has resulted in significant redirection of resources in the health sector. This has impacted the sector’s response to other health issues, including the last and current pandemic, HIV, threatening to reverse the gains achieved during the previous three decades.

It is with this in mind that The University of the West Indies, HEU, Centre for Health Economics, the International AIDS Economics Network (IAEN) and the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) will host an upcoming webinar entitled “The Next and Last Pandemics – The Consequences of COVID-19 and its Impact on the HIV/AIDS Response”, 21 July 2021 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (Eastern Time).

The objectives of the discussion are to:

1. Provide a forum for the exchange on work done globally on the Economic Impact of COVID-19 on wealth and health in general and the HIV response in particular
2. Identify work done to address the sustainability of the HIV response in light of the negative impact of COVID-19 on global and local funding sources
3. Assess how various financing models might be applied to maximum impact and to limit the effects of COVID-19 on the HIV response
4. Identify the gaps where further research is needed and the opportunities for collaborative research to address the gaps