We Cannot Go Backwards: Peter Sands’ Opening Remarks at HIV2020 Conference

“It is staggering to think that we could lose so much, so fast – that many lives,” says Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands, speaking about the potential increase in AIDS-related deaths due to HIV treatment disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We cannot let this happen. We cannot go backwards.” Sands’ opening remarks at the HIV2020 Conference on 6 July 2020 set a course for adapting and uniting the fight against HIV amid the pandemic.