Erika Castellanos has outlived what she describes as one of the cruellest statistics in Latin America. A lot of trans women are killed very early in life, either because of HIV or because of transphobia, so reaching 50 is a success story,” she says. When Castellanos was diagnosed with HIV in 1995, doctors gave her six months to live. “You cannot end Aids while criminalising people living with and most at risk of HIV,” says Byanyima. As governments debate budgets and policies, Castellanos hopes leaders remember that HIV responses are ultimately about people, not politics.