Supporting HIV Programs Through COVID-19 and Beyond Is Critical to Improving Health Equity

In October 2020, the O’Neill Institute released Big Ideas: Supporting HIV Programs Through COVID-19 and Beyond Is Critical to Improving Health Equity. This report discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inequities in the United States and weaknesses in the public health response at the federal, state, and local levels. The report also outlines policy recommendations for fighting COVID-19, improving equity, and sustaining momentum in responding to HIV.

The HIV Policy Lab

The HIV Policy Lab is a unique collaboration between academic, United Nations and civil society organizations to track and monitor HIV-related laws and policies around the world. The database tracks national policy across 33 different indicators in countries around the world—giving a measure of the policy environment to improve transparency and support reforms. The HIV Policy Lab is a collaboration between Georgetown University and the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, UNAIDS, the Global Network of People Living with HIV and Talus Analytics.

The COVID-19 Law Lab

The COVID-19 Law Lab initiative gathers and shares legal documents from over 190 countries across the world to help states establish and implement strong legal frameworks to manage the pandemic. The goal is to ensure that laws protect the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities and that they adhere to international human rights standards. The Lab is a joint project of the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the O’Neill Institute.

The O’Neill Institute is committed to doing the difficult and necessary work to show that Black Lives Matter and to address systemic racism and inequality. Read the O’Neill Institute’s statement.

COVID-19 Resources

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), identified in December 2019, has become a major outbreak and has spread rapidly across the world, impacting life and society on all levels. The O'Neill Institute's experts are key resources to the legal and policy approaches to address the pandemic.

Better Meeting the Needs of People Living with HIV Is How to End the HIV Epidemic

This report highlights actions that can be taken by jurisdictions and advocates to improve the health of all people living with HIV. Differing strategies are needed to support three groups of people with HIV: (1) those who are unaware of their infection, (2) those who are in care but not virally suppressed, and (3) those who have been diagnosed but are not in care.

Applying the Evidence: Legal and Policy Approaches to Address Opioid Use Disorder in the Criminal Justice and Child Welfare Settings

In our current system, jails, prisons, courts and child welfare are often the intervention points for people with substance use disorders. This report provides recommendations for actions that state and local leaders can take immediately to increase evidence-based practices, decrease arbitrary determinations, and prevent overdose deaths.

UHC Legal Solutions Network

A collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNAIDS, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the World Health Organization aimed to establish legal frameworks to achieve universal health coverage. The Network will work with ministers, parliamentarians, policymakers, and civil society to assess legal frameworks for their compatibility with UHC goals.