Research from East Africa helps shape the future of global HIV care A review of health policies across six East African countries has been cited by UNAIDS as it reshapes the global HIV response, contributing to the evidence on how HIV services can be integrated sustainably with wider health systems. For decades, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programmes in many low and middle income countries have operated separately from wider health services. But as people living with HIV live longer and increasingly develop non- communicable diseases, integrating their care has become an important global health priority. In 2021, BMJ Global Health published the paper, Integration of non- communicable disease and HIV/AIDS management: a review of healthcare policies and plans in East Africa. 52 Looking at policies and plans across six East African countries, the authors found that HIV and non-communicable disease services were still not well integrated. They called for more joined-up care, with better monitoring and evaluation of how integration is working. It can take years for research to influence policy. In 2025, UNAIDS cited the review in its flagship Global AIDS Update, 53 as part of the evidence supporting more joined-up HIV and other health services. This has become more important as countries face cuts to international HIV funding and look for more sustainable ways to provide care.
Nearly 95% of LMIC-originated research was published open access in early 2025, up from 56% in 2022.
Greater integration of HIV services with primary health care, wider health systems and other sectors is now embedded in the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, 54 which sets out 16 global targets for 2030. In June 2026, UN Member States adopted a new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS that includes all 16 targets. This brings the Strategy’s targets into a formal UN declaration agreed by Member States. 55
BMJ Global Health is accessible with a reputation for high quality research. It’s a place that our colleagues go to. For research like this, you want it to also be accessible to the people who can actually use it. Being open access means policymakers and
researchers in the countries we were studying can read and share the work without a subscription.” Anupam (Anu) Garrib, Principal research associate, RESPOND-Africa Partnership, UK
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