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BEIJING, 15 July 2024 – The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and China signed two new Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to advance joint strategic efforts to end AIDS in China and globally.

The first agreement was signed on 10 July by Wang Hesheng, Vice Minister of the National Health Commission and Administrator of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA) and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, in Beijing. UNAIDS and China have agreed to deepen their collaboration to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, within the context of China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The agreement acknowledges China’s commitment to take a leadership role in the global HIV response including mobilizing partners and supporting efforts to end AIDS in middle- and lower-income countries. 

Mr Wang thanked UNAIDS’ for technical support and guidance around China’s HIV response, particularly in formulating HIV response plans and strategies, monitoring and assessment, as well as UNAIDS’ data collection and analysis.

“We expect to continue and further our cooperation with UNAIDS with this MOU,” he said. “The first steps will be to boost communication and coordination, and actively participate in global health governance.”

According to the agreement, NDCPA will make an annual contribution of USD$1 million to UNAIDS from 2025 to 2029, totaling USD$5 million, which includes increased core funding.

The other agreement signed in Beijing on 13 July with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) addresses critical global development issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes promoting health and ending AIDS globally, especially in other developing countries in Africa and Asia Pacific.

Luo Zhaohui, Chairman of the CIDCA recognizes UNAIDS’ leadership in the global HIV response and encouraged UNAIDS to apply for more Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF) to address the HIV epidemic.

“Let’s work together to improve people’s health especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.” he said. "HIV is a new area for CIDCA but UNAIDS has a lot of experience so there is huge prospect to have more cooperation.”

As part of this agreement, UNAIDS and CIDCA will fund projects in developing partner countries through policy coordination, community engagement, capacity building and technical insight.

Since its founding in 2019, the CIDCA has provided steady financial support to UN agencies and developing member states. As highlighted at the annual Steering Committee of UNSDCF, 13 UN agencies mobilized more than US$ 100 million in South-South funding, predominantly from CIDCA, which assisted 85 partner countries in the areas of COVID response and resilience, social inclusion, agriculture, climate and energy efforts. Earlier this year, UNAIDS received the first GDF to support Iran’s upscaling of rapid HIV testing. UNAIDS is the second UN entity to sign a MOU with the CIDCA.

UNAIDS looks forward to deepening cooperation with China especially in South-South Cooperation and China-Africa cooperation in the areas of local drug production as well as supporting partner countries.

Ms Byanyima said, “Global South solidarity is the bedrock of the HIV response. It is only by standing together that we can end AIDS by 2030 and I welcome steps towards a deeper partnership building China and African countries.”

UNAIDS will also closely work with the African Union, the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the African Medicine Agency.   

Ms Byanyima’s week-long mission to China is her first to the country since she became Executive Director of UNAIDS.

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 connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Girls’ education as a tool to prevent HIV infection has been centered at the 1st African Union Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa. This followed African leaders designating education as the 2024 African Union theme of the year.

At a high-level side event hosted by the Education Plus Initiative on the first day of conference held at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, leaders, girls’ and women’s networks and advocates called for greater investments in girls’ education.

“Some people claim that providing girls with secondary education is too expensive. Such claims fail to consider the exponentially higher cost of not educating them,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “We can get all our girls and boys to complete secondary education; that should be our legacy."

UNICEF calculates that 34 million girls in sub-Saharan Africa are out of secondary school. According to the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2023, in all regions in Africa, there are more girls out of school at the secondary level than boys, with gender disparities worsening as children move up to higher levels of education in favour of boys over girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, less than half of adolescent girls complete secondary education, their percentage standing at 42% and there has been no progress at all in closing this gap in the past 20 years.  Sub-Saharan Africa is the region furthest from parity at the expense of girls, with no progress since 2011 at the lower secondary level and since 2014 in upper secondary.

Gender is a key factor linked to disparities in enrolment, retention, completion, and learning outcomes through social conditioning, gender-based differences in parental expectations and education-related investments, child marriages and early childbearing, female genital mutilation, child labour, gender-based violence, period poverty and discrimination.

More than forty years into the HIV response, Africa remains an epicenter of the AIDS epidemic with adolescent girls and young women being disproportionately affected. Every week 3100 adolescent girls and young women acquired HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Every three minutes, an adolescent girl or young woman aged 15-24 years acquired HIV in 2022 in sub-Saharan Africa.  Adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 years in the region were more than three times as likely to acquire HIV than their male peers in 2022.

UN agencies, African Union representatives, government ministers, and young women leaders called for accelerated actions to translate commitments to action through leveraging girls' education for gender equality and preventing HIV, child marriage, teenage pregnancies, violence, gender-related stigma and discrimination in Africa.

Speakers emphasized the connection between health and education. Ministers spoke about key policy reforms and best practices aimed at promoting girls' education, including creating safe and inclusive school environments, strategies to get girls into secondary school, and the readmission policy that addresses high dropout rates due to pregnancy.  UN co-leads emphasised the need for improved collection of data disaggregated by sex and other relevant population characteristics to better understand educational participation, progression, and learning, and using gender-sensitive data for policymaking and planning. 

Other issues highlighted included the integration of digital literacy programs into the secondary education and vocational training curriculum to facilitate smooth transitions from school to employment; integrate gender equality into all aspects of the education system, including curriculum-based comprehensive sexuality education  and life skills, address gender-based violence  within schools and discriminatory laws and practices, and access to information, non-discriminatory HIV and sexual and reproductive health services access.

Young women leaders spoke on the role of partnerships and young women's leadership. Participants highlighted the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration as an opportunity moment to accelerate accountability and commitments, as well as the CSW Resolution 60/2, Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS as significant mechanisms to address political and resource gaps so no woman or girl is behind in the HIV response.

Education Plus is a rights-based, gender-responsive action agenda to ensure adolescent girls and young women have equal access to quality secondary education, alongside key education and health services and support for their economic autonomy and empowerment.  Co-led by five UN agencies, the initiative builds on existing frameworks like the Transforming Education Summit, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) and the Dakar Education for All (EFA) Declaration to push for access and completion of education for women and girls in Africa.

GENEVA, 21 JUNE 2024—UNAIDS applauds the judgment by the High Court of Namibia, striking out as unconstitutional the law which had criminalised same-sex relationships.  The court found the law incompatible with the constitutional rights of Namibian citizens. This decision, which is in line with a series of judgments by courts in Southern Africa in recent years, marks a significant victory for equality and human rights for all Namibians and will help protect the health of everyone.

"This decision by the High Court of Namibia is a powerful step towards a more inclusive Namibia," said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. "The colonial-era common law that criminalized same-sex sexual relations perpetuated an environment of discrimination and fear, often hindering access to essential healthcare services for LGBTQ+ individuals. To protect everyone’s health, we need to protect everyone’s human rights.”

Originally introduced during colonial rule in Apartheid South Africa and maintained in Namibian law when the country gained independence in 1990, this law had been used to rationalize discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in Namibia. It not only violated the constitutional rights of Namibian citizens but also posed a challenge to public health. The climate created by the law discouraged LGBTQ+ individuals from seeking HIV testing and treatment, undermining efforts to control the epidemic.

"By decriminalizing same-sex relationships, Namibia creates a safer environment for LGBTQ+ communities," said Ms. Githuku-Shongwe. "This allows them to access vital healthcare services, contributing to the global goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030."

UNAIDS urges all countries to follow Namibia's lead, remove punitive laws, and tackle prejudices against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people. Since 2019, Botswana, Gabon, Angola, Bhutan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Singapore, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Cook Islands, Mauritius, and Dominica have all repealed laws that criminalized LGBTQ+ people.

A more just, equitable and kind world is a healthier one for everyone.

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 connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Four Albanian cities—Kolonja, Durrës, Pogradec, and Shkodra—have signed the Paris Declaration on AIDS committing to ending AIDS as a public health threatby 2030. By signing the declaration, the Mayors committed to achieving the 95-95-95 targets by 2025 and called on other municipalities in Albania, including the capital Tirana, to join this effort. 

The Albanian cities are the latest additions to the list of more than 550 other cities around the world that are part of the Fast-Track Cities initiative which aims to fast-track action at local level to improve the quality of life of people living with and affected by HIV. 

In order to fulfill their commitments, the cities have developed different plans of action based on their local circumstances. For instance, the Municipality of Durrës plans to increase investments in methadone maintenance therapy, aiming to expand the number of people benefiting from such services by 10% each year.  

The Municipalities of Pogradec and Kolonja are focused on raising awareness among migrant populations to increase HIV testing rates in these regions. As border cities with a significant male population migrating for work, ensuring these communities are well-informed and have access to necessary health services is crucial.  

Finally, the Municipality of Shkoder aims to foster a partnership with Podgorica in Montenegro to exchange experiences and best practices in developing the "Healthy Houses" model, which has been successful in the neighboring country. The "Healthy Houses" initiative is a free social service providing psychosocial support to citizens. It focuses on improving the quality of life, reducing risks, and offering support to socially vulnerable groups. The service addresses a range of issues, including HIV, domestic violence, addiction, services for LGBTQ+ peopleand others.  

Olimbi Hoxhaj, Executive Director of the Albanian Association of People Living with HIV, hopes that signing the Declaration and the follow-up actions will not only help prevent new HIV infectionsbut will also significantly reduce AIDS-related mortality.  

Albania has a low HIV-prevalence epidemic but faces an increasing number of new HIV cases. From 1993 to 2023, 1,716 cases were diagnosed, with 113 new cases in 2023 alone. Most HIV testing occurs in the late stages of infection (about 60% of new cases), meaning official figures do not fully represent the actual infection rate. 

The Minister of Health and Social Protection of Albania, Ogerta Manastirliu, emphasized that rapid diagnosis and treatment are key. “The whole fight in this aspect is timely diagnosis so that the treatment can start as soon as possible, and the infection is under control.” 

“While the European region continues to face political, economic, and healthcare challenges due to regional conflicts, migration, and other complexities, it is important to secure commitment from municipalities to advance progress towards the crucial HIV targets,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

Technical assistance to all municipalities in developing their local programs was provided through the cooperation between the International Association of AIDS Care Providers (IAPAC), the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCI), UNAIDS and the Global Fund’s regional #SoS 2.0 project, which aims to ensure the sustainability of HIV services in 15 countries in Eastern Europe. "Since 2019, with our support, 21 municipalities from Southeast Europe have joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative," said Tetiana Deshko, Director of the International Programs Department at the Alliance for Public Health.

Propping up her round thick-framed glasses, Carole Perrette readjusted a painting in the art exhibit at UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. For one month, more than twenty paintings crafted by her art therapy group will grace the sun-smacked lobby.

Ms Perrette, a painter and art therapist, has been leading workshops at the Geneva Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PVA) for its members since 2005 (minus a short break to focus on her career.)

She is thrilled UNAIDS is welcoming a selection of her “students’” pastels and vibrant watercolors.

"Completing a piece of artwork is such an accomplishment that this exhibit is an even greater honor,” Ms Perette said.

For painter and PVA member May* the art and painting therapy sessions allow her to feel free.

“We paint, we talk, we express ourselves and it is very liberating...I forget my daily troubles,” she said.

PVA-Geneva offers art therapy sessions weekly to all of its members. For the Director of PVA, the workshops are a key component of the mental health outreach the association does.

“As you can see from the variety of the paintings on display, people express themselves differently... from glorious sunsets to two fish kissing to renditions of blood cells,” said Rocco Senatore.

“Despite this diversity, the art therapy sessions unite the group, and most champion each other’s work,” he said.

Many eagerly attend the workshops because they do not feel judged. Yvan, a painter and PVA member, said he had difficulties coming to terms with his HIV status. “I kept all of this bottled up for a long time. The art therapy is my support network art wise and morally too.”

During a meet and greet session with the artists and UN staff, Mahesh Mahalingam, UNAIDS Chief of Staff, said that art has been used as a longstanding bridge to raise awareness in the HIV response. “Art and artists like yourselves were instrumental in bringing the world’s attention to HIV in ways that has not happened in any other disease,” he said. “Artists have made this disease humane and out of that it led to a movement that pushed for access to treatment for millions of people.”

Nodding approvingly, Dalia, artist and PVA member, turned to the group afterwards and said, “Just like our art therapy sessions, this is what solidarity is all about.”

*Person did not want to disclose full name.

SALVADOR, BRAZIL, 6 June 2024—At the G20 preparatory meeting in Brazil, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Winnie Byanyima, today urged governments to support a new G20 Alliance, proposed by the Brazilian government, to enable life-saving medicines to be produced in every part of the world. Co-Chair of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS, and Pandemics Sir Michael Marmot also called on G20 delegates to address the social determinants of pandemics, such as education and human rights, as a concrete part of the G20’s pandemic preparedness efforts.

The medicines initiative aims to create a global alliance of local and regional manufacturers of drugs, vaccines and other health technologies and unite a diversified network of local and regional producers to ensure an adequate supply of medicines and technologies for everyone, everywhere.

Ms Byanyima called on the G20 to ensure that the alliance takes a bold approach that strengthens efforts to fight dengue and other neglected diseases, improves global defences against future pandemics, and accelerates access to the latest technologies against HIV.

“Focusing together on neglected diseases and the major killers of vulnerable people is not only strategic, it can deliver during future pandemics,” said Ms Byanyima. “We can be thankful that, for all its devastation, COVID-19 responded to a vaccine, unlike HIV. There is no reason to believe the next pandemic will be like COVID-19.  We need to build capacity for vaccines and treatment.”

The responses to many diseases that impact vulnerable populations – from Ebola to Mpox to HIV – would benefit greatly from this initiative, Ms Byanyima told governments today.

“The alliance can supercharge the HIV response. It can supercharge the production pipeline for innovations,” said Ms Byanyima. “An alliance could also build capacity where it is not. The majority of people living with HIV, who get up every day and take that pill, live in Africa. But few of those drugs are actually made in African countries.”

“Brazil’s leadership and experience in this area has inspired this global effort. And we need the support of the whole G20 to make it a success.”

The agenda of the G20 meeting on health is helping to push global health policy towards tackling the systemic inequalities that drive ill-health.  UNAIDS is coordinating a Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics that is gathering evidence on how inequalities deepen and prolong pandemics, including HIV and COVID-19. That evidence is being shared with policymakers at the G20 and other international forums.

On Monday, world-renowned expert Sir Michael Marmot gave a keynote address the G20 meeting on the potential of focusing concretely on the social determinants to strengthen pandemic preparedness, predict the severity of future pandemics, and  improve the efficacy of responses.

“Improving health leads to a better economy. And the way to improve health is not just to invest in healthcare, but in the social determinants of health,” Professor Marmot said. “For example, in Botswana, there is clear evidence that the longer young people remain in education, the lower the rates of HIV.”

Addressing social determinants, building manufacturing capacity, and enabling people everywhere to access the whole range of HIV prevention and treatment options, including the latest long-acting technologies, is vital for ensuring the end of AIDS as a public health threat. The G20 initiatives would play a key role in achieving that objective in a sustainable way, while also contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and supporting efforts to quickly respond to the next pandemic.

Notes for editors

Brazil's main proposal for the G20 Health Working Group is to establish the creation of an Alliance for Regional Production and Innovation. This initiative aims to establish a network that brings together key actors, including countries, academia, private sector, and international organizations, for research and development and production of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics, and strategic supplies to combat diseases with strong social determinants and that mainly affect vulnerable populations, such as dengue, malaria, tuberculosis, Chagas disease, and leprosy. For more information on the G20 Health Working Group, see the G20 website: https://www.g20.org/en/tracks/sherpa-track/health

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 connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GENEVA, 30 May 2024— The Government of Australia and UNAIDS have today signed a new multi-million-dollar partnership to strengthen the fight against both non-communicable and communicable diseases, including HIV, to ensure better health outcomes for people in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The signing took place at UNAIDS during the 77^th World Health Assembly.

The AU$12 million funding agreement will support governments and local communities in the region to improve HIV prevention, testing and treatment while reducing stigma and discrimination. The funds will be dedicated to advancing the HIV response in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia over the next four years.

“This is an important investment for the region, and a valuable partnership for UNAIDS. It will deliver multiple benefits, including tackling rising HIV infections in some countries,” said Christine Stegling, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director. “This much-needed financial support by the Australian government will go a long way in the fight to end AIDS as a public health threat in the Pacific and Southeast Asia by 2030. More than that, it’s a demonstration of Australia’s commitment to protect people’s health and human rights beyond its own borders.”

Efforts to prevent new HIV infections in the Pacific and Southeast Asia need to be scaled up urgently as epidemics are rising in a number of countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Philippines. Stigma and discrimination are contributing to the rise, obstructing access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment services, particularly for men who have sex with men.

The financial injection, for both HIV prevention and treatment, adds to the existing AU$25 million multi-year (2022-2027) partnership between UNAIDS and the Australian Government in the Asia Pacific region, representing an expansion of the longstanding programming partnership. It’s also part of Australia’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region – an Australian Government initiative that works with governments and civil society organisations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia to build resilient, equitable and inclusive health systems that can respond to shared health challenges.

“Australia’s domestic response to HIV has always recognised that the people closest to the issue are also best placed to lead on the solutions. As policy makers and funders we must listen, support, and build genuine partnerships with affected communities and civil society organisations,” said Dr. Lucas de Toca, Australia’s Ambassador for Global Health. “Australia is proud these principles of listening and supporting are central to our new partnership with UNAIDS and Health Equity Matters. This new partnership will support locally led solutions to the HIV epidemic in our region – enabling affected communities to lead the response.”

Domestically, Australia remains committed to ending its AIDS pandemic by 2030 and recently announced a AU$43.9 million investment to boost the fight against HIV. Australia is well on the way to reaching the 95-95-95 targets by 2025.

“This commitment is a practical expression of solidarity and co-operation between the people of Australia and our near neighbours in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Cambodia,” said Dash Heath-Paynter, Chief Executive Officer of Health Equity Matters. “By investing in the HIV response in our region we plant the seeds for a healthier, more prosperous future, with a lighter burden of stigma and discrimination. We recognise the leadership exercised by both the Australian Government and UNAIDS in making this commitment."

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 connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Azima has lived with HIV since childhood; she was abandoned by her parents and raised by her grandmother.

Today she is recognized as an inspirational community leader in the HIV response, including for the vital role she has played in tackling stigma as the first young woman in Uzbekistan to disclose her HIV-positive status.

"I am strong. I have a bright future ahead. And I will achieve my goals,” says Azima.

She has faced both positive and negative reactions since her disclosure. Throughout, Azima has remained a committed activist. She is especially thankful to her community of peer support, a group of children and young people living with HIV supported by UNICEF.

“In the end, the energy of the people who supported me was so strong that it helped me rise above other people's criticism,” she said.

As a peer educator, Azima works tirelessly to raise awareness about HIV.

Today, Azima is studying psychology at Fergana State University. This choice of future career was encouraged by her grandmother and inspired by a psychologist who worked in her support group.

Because of her HIV treatment, Azima cannot transmit HIV to her husband. Several months ago, she gave birth to an HIV-free baby girl.

She is thankful for her family. “My husband has always supported me,” says Azima.

Azima’s story exemplifies the progress made in Uzbekistan’s HIV response. Antiretroviral therapy is provided free of charge to all in need in Uzbekistan. The country is also making efforts to ensure all women living with HIV receive timely treatment, so that all babies will be born HIV-free. Coverage of pregnant women who receive antiretroviral treatment to prevent vertical transmission of HIV has been around 98% since 2016, according to the Uzbekistan Republican Center to fight AIDS.

“The rate of vertical HIV transmission in 2023 was 0.2%. We aim to reduce this figure to 0%. The Republic of Uzbekistan is on the verge of receiving an international certificate for the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission,” said Bahrom Igamberdiyev, Director of the Republican AIDS Center in Uzbekistan.

The country has approved a "Roadmap for Implementing Measures to Achieve the Validation of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV for 2024-2026". This roadmap will be implemented with the participation of all partners, allowing Uzbekistan to reach its goal and obtain validation for the elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. An effective HIV response is a priority for both the government and civil society in Uzbekistan.

However, some critical challenges in the HIV response in Uzbekistan, particularly concerning HIV prevention, which are deeply rooted in societal norms and systemic inequalities.

These, according to the recently released Gender Assessment Report for Uzbekistan, include limits on women's decision-making power, leaving many women dependent on male relatives for important life choices, including healthcare decisions.

Despite the Government’s commitment and legislative efforts to address gender-based violence, underreporting remains a significant issue. The prevalence of early and arranged marriages also contributes to the limited autonomy of women, depriving many of them of educational and economic opportunities and impeding access to comprehensive sexual education. Cultural norms limit open discussions on reproductive health and prevention in many social contexts including family and educational settings.

As a result, the latest survey found that only 14% of women between 15 and 49 years old have comprehensive knowledge about HIV. This reduces to 10% for young women between 15 and 25 years old.  “Addressing these systemic issues requires comprehensive efforts to promote gender equality, ensure access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and empower women economically. UNAIDS is working with partners to improve access to education and create an enabling environment for women to realize their full potential,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Azima is stepping up her advocacy role, pointing out that openness and education are crucial in fighting stigma and advancing access to prevention, testing and treatment. She advises young women to disclose their HIV status to partners early in relationships and emphasizes the importance of adherence to treatment and of mutual support within families.

Azima will continue breaking stereotypes, promoting awareness, and embracing her journey with courage and determination. Azima exemplifies the learning that HIV responses succeed when we let communities lead.

GENEVA, 30 April 2024—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is deeply concerned about the impact of the harmful new legislation in Iraq amending the 1988 anti-sex work law to criminalize LGBTQ+ people. The legislation imposes a prison sentence of between 10 and 15 years for same-sex sexual relations. Transgender people face up to three years imprisonment for expressing their gender or receiving gender affirmation care.   Individuals also face up to seven years for promoting homosexuality. And up to three years for providing gender affirmation care.

Criminalizing consensual same-sex relationships and gender expression not only violates fundamental human rights but also undermines efforts to end AIDS by driving marginalized populations underground and away from essential health services, including life-saving HIV prevention, treatment and care services.

Globally, the movement for human rights has made progress in the past 40 years. At the start of the AIDS pandemic in the early 1980s, most countries criminalized same-sex sexual activity between men, now two thirds do not. An increasing number of countries have also recognized the rights of trans and other gender diverse people. However, this new legislation in Iraq represents a significant setback and is part of a wave of punitive and restrictive laws being passed that undermine the rights of LGBTQ+ people.  

The legislation passed in parliament is an amendment to an existing 1988 anti-sex work law which continues to criminalize both the selling and buying of sexual services. The amendments passed on Saturday 27 April 2024 increase the penalties in relation to sex work. These laws, which countries committed to removing under the 2021 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, likewise undermine the human rights and public health of sex workers.

UNAIDS calls upon the authorities of Iraq to overturn this discriminatory legislation and fulfill its obligations under international human rights law to protect the rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. UNAIDS stands in solidarity with LGBTQ+ people and communities and reaffirms its commitment to work with partners to promote equality, end stigma and discrimination, uphold human rights—including the right to health, and ensure access to comprehensive HIV services for everyone, everywhere.

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 connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.