Self-care is an integral component of the healthcare system and is how individuals protect their own health, prevent disease, and treat illness, both with and without the support of a health provider. As COVID-19 further limits access to facility-based care, meeting the needs of people who live with or are at risk of HIV has never been more important, and it must be done with considerations for protecting health workers and PLHIV as well as limiting the spread of COVID-19. In absence of being able to go to the clinic, new diagnostic, monitoring and digital tools and medicines have led to a greater configuration of self-led HIV prevention, treatment and care possibilities than ever before. In this dynamic, interactive session, we will explore how different self-care interventions and adaptations have become a critical answer in the health system response to COVID-19 and the potential to transform the HIV response.

Self-care is an integral component of the healthcare system and is how individuals protect their own health, prevent disease, and treat illness, both with and without the support of a health provider. As COVID-19 further limits access to facility-based care, meeting the needs of people who live with or are at risk of HIV has never been more important, and it must be done with considerations for protecting health workers and PLHIV as well as limiting the spread of COVID-19. In absence of being able to go to the clinic, new diagnostic, monitoring and digital tools and medicines have led to a greater configuration of self-led HIV prevention, treatment and care possibilities than ever before. In this dynamic, interactive session, we will explore how different self-care interventions and adaptations have become a critical answer in the health system response to COVID-19 and the potential to transform the HIV response.