London Mayor announces funding for permanent HIV/AIDS memorial
Sadiq Khan says it will send a message of solidarity, and will address the stigma around the disease
Last updated 1st Dec 2023
This World AIDS Day, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has announced new £130,000 funding from the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm towards London's first HIV/AIDS permanent memorial.
It's hoped the memorial will highlight the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of the communities most affected, and will act as a reminder that the fight to end AIDS, and the stigma of HIV and AIDS worldwide continues, and will serve as an education resource for current and future generations.
The artist commissioning process for the new memorial is underway and the new memorial will be located in Camden near the first dedicated HIV/AIDS hospital ward in the UK.
The commission has worked closely with AIDS Memory UK, the charity driving the memorial project, over the past two years and the memorial will be in place by 2026.
London is now the world-leading city for HIV diagnosis and treatment, with 96 per cent of people with HIV diagnosed, 98 per cent of whom are on treatment and 99 per cent of those with the HIV virus suppressed.
Supporting those living with the virus has been a key part of the Mayor’s Health Inequalities Strategy and ongoing action to build a safer London for all.
This week the Mayor signed City Hall up as the founding member of Fast-Track Cities, London’s new HIV Confident Charter to tackle stigma and discrimination in the workplace.
Sadiq Khan said: " World AIDS Day is a time to remember and honour all those who have been lost to HIV/AIDS related illness, and to unite everyone in our ongoing battle against the virus and the stigma that too frequently comes with it."
"We have come a long way in addressing those taboos and City Hall is once again leading the way in tackling health inequalities by signing the HIV Confident charter."
“I am proud that we are helping to fund the first permanent HIV/AIDS memorial in London. This powerful message of solidarity will help address the stigma and discrimination faced by many who live with HIV, as we work towards building a better, healthier, more equitable city for all Londoners.”