The inequality and discrimination against HIV carriers and AIDS patients is aggravated by the financial crisis. This was the common idea shared by the majority of speakers present at the Conference "breaking the barriers, bridging the gaps: health inequalities, the response to HIV/AIDS and the political leadership EU policy".

The meeting, that gathered several specialists, patients and patient associations from several countries and a group of Members of the Parliament, was hosted by Left bloc MEP Marisa Matias, who has highlighted the special context of these initiatives: "These meetings are launched in times of crisis in which, for the very first time, the 27 Member States have reduced all their health budgets. Thus, more than ever, it is necessary to keep the healthcare issues in the front line of policy, either national or European.

For the Left Bloc Member "in the HIV/AIDS case there are huge inequalities, both in prevention, treatment and health care. HIV/AIDS is transverse to the whole population and we should find different ways of speaking, as this only increases the discrimination and stigma and does not respond to the needs of prevention ".

"This disease cannot just be left within the medical world. Inequality will not be resolved only by throwing money into the problem, because there is also discrimination and various inequalities", considered Michael Huebel's, from the European Commission Health Directorate-General. In the West the disease begins to become chronic, but "the treatment is not always easy to stand financially, and social inequalities in HIV, increase the vulnerability", he has defended.

Michael Cashman, English MEP, recalled the stigma of the "gay community" in the 80’s. "At the time, it was considered pointless to protect these people who were sick by their own fault; a whole generation has been abandoned". He has still warned that, "we have to be careful with the free trade treaties, we cannot allow that the treatment depend on cheap drugs". But all the answers do not lay on medicine, "we can live with HIV without having our life affected, but this is not really true because it will still be a stigma".

An estimated 6.6 million people in low- and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS at the end of 2010, according to the WHO. Of this, an estimated 420 000–460 000 were children. This progress represents the largest ever annual increase in the number of people accessing HIV treatment–1.4 million more than a year ago, but the majority are still in need.