On World AIDS Day, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, led by example by taking a HIV test.
Mr Macron and the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, visited a hospital in Saint Denis in northern Paris that caters to people in vulnerable situations, including migrants. Speaking after taking the HIV test, Mr Macron said, “We have not won the battle against AIDS. We need to protect ourselves, get tested, get treated and accept those in society who have HIV.”
Globally today, 40% of people living with HIV don’t know their HIV status. In France, one in five people living with HIV do not know their HIV status. The majority of new HIV infections in the country occur among gay men and other men who have sex with men.
“Emmanuel Macron is showing leadership in action. By publicly taking an HIV test, he has demonstrated French leadership on the right to health,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “France is a valued partner of UNAIDS.”
Earlier, on 28 November, Mr Macron renewed his commitment to the global AIDS response during a speech to young students at the University in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
France has played a critical role in ensuring access to medicines globally through its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to which it has donated more than US$ 4.8 billion. France also supported the creation of UNITAID in 2006.
These investments have yielded substantial results. Through global solidarity today nearly 21 million people have access to HIV treatment. In 2016, 53% of people living with HIV were on treatment.
