HIV and AIDS memorial garden unveiled in Leicester

A memorial garden dedicated to those who are currently living with HIV, as well as those who have lost their lives or loved ones to the HIV and AIDS pandemic has been officially opened in Leicester. The garden, which can be found beside Holy Trinity Church in Leicester, was funded by East Midlands Sexual Health, formerly known as Leicester AIDS Support Services (LASS). It was opened by the Right Reverend Saju Muthulaly, the Bishop of Loughborough.

East Midlands Sexual Health/HTL Church

"We must never forget the brave souls who lost their lives in the early days of the epidemic, and those who stood by them," said Lee Brooker, former service user and employee of East Midlands Sexual Health.

The newly-opened HIV memorial garden in Leicester is one of six legacy projects supported by East Midlands Sexual Health, by funds raised from the sale of its building after it closed down in 2023.

Gavin Brown, chief executive of the Leicester-based Trade Sexual Health charity, said: "We organise a Red Ribbon Remembrance on World AIDS Day every year.

"In future years, we'll be gathering here on 1 December to remember the people we've lost but also to recommit ourselves to continuing to fight for the living and ensure an end to the HIV crisis."

Alistair Hudson, former chief executive of East Midlands Sexual Health, said he believed the garden was one of many memorials to HIV and AIDS across the UK, which includes Birmingham’s HIV and AIDS memorial Ribbons in Hippodrome Square. Memorials can also be found in London, Bournemouth, Brighton, Edinburgh, Manchester, Oxford, Reading, Swindon, and York.

Alistair added that it was hoped that the garden would be a symbol of the progress that has been made in the treatment and prevention of HIV, including antiretroviral medication for HIV positive people, PrEp, PEP, and U=U (meaning that those on effective medication will not transmit to others).

"As we look back on this, HIV will be remembered as one of the greatest public health success stories in the last 100 years," he said.

"It informed the Ebola response and the Covid response. A cure will be the next major milestone."

In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2007 Timothy Brown became the first person to be considered 'cured' of HIV in a new case of long HIV remission. Brown underwent a stem cell transplant to treat leukaemia from a donor carrying a rare genetic mutation CCR5-delta 32, which is known to provide genetic resistance to HIV – making his reconstituted immune cells (CD4 cells) unable to be infected with HIV.

This year, the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) heard that half the men in an HIV ‘cure study’ were able to stay off treatment for nearly a year after a two-antibody shot. The next major milestone for HIV is therefore certainly on the horizon.