Ending AIDS by 2030: WHO urges global community to equalise HIV response
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday, urged global leaders and citizens to boldly recognise and address the inequalities holding back progress towards the global goal to end AIDS by 2030.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said this in his message to commemorate World AIDS Day 2022 celebrated every December 1.
Ghebreyesus said the Day under the theme “Equalise” was a message highlighting the need to ensure that essential HIV services reach those who are most at risk and in need.
“With global solidarity and bold leadership, we can make sure everyone receives the care they need.
“World AIDS Day is an opportunity to re-affirm and refocus on our shared commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” he said.
According to him, HIV remains a major public health issue that affects millions of people worldwide.
However, global response is at risk of falling behind, he added.
“Of the 38 million people living with HIV, 5.9 million people who know they have HIV are not receiving treatment.
“A further 4 million people living with HIV have not yet been diagnosed.
“While 76 per cent of adults overall were receiving antiretroviral treatment that helps them lead normal and healthy lives, only 52 per cent of children living with HIV were accessing this treatment globally in 2021.
“70 per cent of new HIV infections are among people who are marginalised and often criminalized,” he said.
According to him, while transmission has declined overall in Africa, there has been no significant decline among men who have sex with men, a key population group in the past 10 years.
He said that available WHO data showed that among people confirmed to have mpox, a high number – 52 per cent were people living with HIV.
Ghebreyesus said that global data reported to WHO suggest that people living with mpox with untreated HIV appear to be at risk for more severe disease than people without HIV.
He said that the current response to mpox showed that transmission could move quickly in sexual networks and within marginalised populations.
Ghebreyesus said that the transmission could also be prevented with community-led responses and open attitudes to address stigma, and health and well-being can be improved and lives can be saved.
Dr Meg Doherty, WHO Director of the HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Pogrammes, said WHO had recommended a renewed focus to implement its 2022 guidance to reach the HIV and related health needs of key populations and children.
“People must not be denied HIV services no matter who they are or where they live if we are to achieve health for all.
“In order to end AIDS, we need to end new infections among children, end lack of treatment access to them, and end structural barriers and stigma and discrimination towards key populations in every country as soon as possible,” Doherty said.
She said with only eight years left before the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat.
Doherty said WHO called for global solidarity and bold leadership from all sectors to ensure the world gets back on track to ending AIDS and, with that, end new syndemics, such as the recent mpox global outbreak.
