ABSTRACT
Although international migration, one of the most emotive subjects in contemporary society is now a consistent and integral part of global existence, it has never been as socioeconomically and politically significant nor accorded such priority as is the case today (Castles, 2013). This is even more pronounced when issues of health, particularly in the context of infectious or contagious conditions such as HIV are juxtaposed with those of migration. In today’s world, for those who are diagnosed in time and are able to access high quality care, HIV has the potential to be a long term chronic condition. In England life expectancy for people with HIV has increased dramatically. People living with HIV are ageing and the complications of longevity are impinging on clinical care, increasing the long term costs of the condition. At the same time new infections continue, with more people than ever before living with HIV, requiring new and innovative paradigms of clinical and social care. These shifting epidemiological and clinical aspects of HIV infection are coupled with, high rates of stigma, social deprivation and disproportionately high infection rates amongst marginalised communities, including significant numbers of people born outside the UK, where the intersection of these issues leads to a situation of profound inequality.
