World AIDS Day

 

#WorldAIDSDay

Take the Rights Path to End AIDS!

Today, December 1st, on World AIDS Day 2024 we join the calling of World Health Organization (WHO), their partners and communities around the globe to champion the fundamental right to health.

The Sustainable Development Goals target of ending AIDS by 2030 needs everyone’s dedication to this year’s theme, “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!”. A rights-based approach is a commitment to uphold the dignity, health, and autonomy of every individual, especially those with vulnerabilities and who are most at-risk. Stigma and discrimination must be stackled, both representing barriers to accessing prevention, treatment, and care.

• Currently, 39.9 million people globally live with HIV, 29.8 million people were accessing antiretroviral therapy — a gap of 10 million people left without adequate treatment.
• In 2023, 1.3 million new infections were reported — far exceeding the target goal for ending AIDS by 2030.

Tackles and Success in Asian Regions

Almost one-quarter of the new HIV infections were observed in Asia and the Pacific, where new infections are rising alarmingly in some countries. Steep increases in new infections are continuing in eastern Europe and central Asia (a rise of 49% since 2010) and in the Middle East and North Africa (a rise of 61% since 2010). These trends are due primarily to a lack of HIV prevention services for marginalized and key populations and the barriers posed by punitive laws and social discrimination.

In the WHO South-East Asia Region alone, there are approximately 3.9 million people living with HIV, representing 10% of the global burden. While significant strides in reducing HIV/AIDS rates have been made through strong national commitments, ongoing challenges persist.

“Vertical Transmission” — Babies Born With Burdon

There are 80 000 children and adolescents aged 0–14 estimated to be living with HIV, comprising 2% of total HIV cases in the Region. They arise predominantly due to “vertical transmission”, giving the virus from mother to their child. These children are one too many as there are effective interventions to eliminate mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, labour, and childbirth. Infected infants face a multitude of complex issues while growing up, living with the HIV virus. WHO’s initiative have already achieved elimination of HIV vertical transmission in three champion countries — Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Transmission in Among The Young Population

Furthermore, while new infections among young people have generally declined, some countries are witnessing troubling increases where nearly half of new infections occur among young populations aged between 15 to 24 years.

For many young HIV infected people their life is fraught with challenges that extend beyond the medical aspects of the virus. The emotional impact of an HIV diagnosis can be profound for them and their families. Young individuals often grapple with feelings of emotional shock, isolation, and fear. Most face stigma and discrimination, and many report a reluctance to seek necessary medical care making it difficult to stay safe and healthy.

Young key populations face unique hurdles in accessing healthcare. Many lack comprehensive sexual education, which is crucial for understanding their health needs and preventing further transmission. Less than a quarter of young people in the region know how HIV is transmitted and acquired, and even fewer know about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This gap in knowledge can lead to increased vulnerability, as young people may not seek testing or treatment due to misinformation or fear of stigma. The recent adoption of a Ministerial Declaration on Adolescent-Responsive Health Systems on October 8, 2024, by countries in the WHO South-East Asia region, marks a significant commitment to building inclusive health systems that cater to the needs of young people.

Modern Tools To Combat AIDS Transmission

Technological advancement and innovative solutions such as mobile health apps, online counseling, telemedicine, and virtual support groups offer promising avenues to reach youth and key populations who are often hard to reach through traditional healthcare systems.

New biomedical tools like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and long-acting antiretrovirals provide hope in reducing HIV transmission.

Training healthcare providers to deliver compassionate, non-judgmental care, and launching public awareness campaigns that celebrate the rights and resilience of people living with HIV are important tools to combat HIV-related stigma. Sharing accurate information and positive narratives is crucial in fostering an enabling environment.

On this World AIDS Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the health and rights of all individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. By “taking the rights path,” we not only advocate for health equity but also empower communities to stand up for their rights. Let us unite in our efforts to ensure that every young person and every individual living with HIV/AIDS can proudly declare, “My Health, My Right!”

UNAIDS Report Shows AIDS Can Be Ended

The report, ‘The Path that Ends AIDS’, released by UNAIDS in 2023, contains data and case studies which highlight that ending AIDS is a political and financial choice, and that the countries and leaders who are already following the path are achieving extraordinary results.

Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have already achieved the “95–95–95” targets. That means 95% of the people who are living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 95% of the people who know that they are living with HIV being on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of people who are on treatment being virally suppressed. A further 16 other countries, eight of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the region which accounts for 65% of all people living with HIV, are also close to doing so.

Progress in the HIV response has been strengthened by ensuring that legal and policy frameworks do not undermine human rights, but enable and protect them. Several countries removed harmful and discrimitaing laws in 2022 and 2023. The number of people on antiretroviral treatment worldwide rose almost fourfold, from 7.7 million in 2010 to 29.8 million in 2022.

However, the report also sets out that ending AIDS will not come automatically. AIDS claimed a life every minute in 2022. Around 9.2 million people still miss out on treatment, including 660 000 children living with HIV.

UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations — UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank — and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Learn more at unaids.org and on their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

“The end of AIDS is an opportunity for a uniquely powerful legacy for today’s leaders,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “They could be remembered by future generations as those who put a stop to the world’s deadliest pandemic. They could save millions of lives and protect the health of everyone. They could show what leadership can do.”

Your Health! Your Right!

A contribution from TheKnowHow