1 December 2018

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first World AIDS Day. Thirty years of activism and solidarity under the banner of World AIDS Day. Thirty years of campaigning for universal access to life-saving services to treat and prevent HIV. But after 30 years, AIDS is still not over. We have miles to go.

World AIDS Day is a day to remember the millions of people who have lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses, many of whom died because they couldn’t access HIV services, because of stigma, because of discrimination and because of criminalization of key populations.

On this World AIDS Day, UNAIDS is campaigning for people to know their HIV status and their viral load. In 2017, 9.4 million people were simply unaware that they are living with a potentially deadly, but treatable, disease. If people don’t know their HIV status, people who are living with HIV can’t start treatment, and people who are HIV-negative can’t get the knowledge and skills they need to keep that way. If people don’t know their HIV status, they can’t protect themselves, their families, their partners. If people living with HIV don’t know their viral load, they won’t be sure that the treatment is effective, protecting their health and stopping HIV transmission.

Live life positively. Know your HIV status.

Michel Sidibé

Executive Director of UNAIDS

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

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.

UNAIDS’ unwavering commitment praised by the President

GENEVA, 25 October 2018—The President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, visited UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 October 2018 to share Botswana’s vision on a key public health concern: HIV.

The President met the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, and congratulated UNAIDS for leading the AIDS agenda with humility and professionalism. 

“We continue to count on your stewardship,” said Mr Masisi. “Botswana stands ready to sprint the last mile to end AIDS as a public health threat.”

Two decades ago, AIDS ravaged the small southern African nation of 2 million. Today, despite having one of the highest rates of HIV in the world – 23% of adults live with HIV- Botswana has shown remarkable progress. New HIV infections have been reduced by 63% since the peak in 1996 and AIDS-related deaths have decreased to 4100 from 15 000 in 2008. It was the first country in the region to provide universal, free antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV, paving the way for many other countries in the region to follow.

Mr Sidibé described the President as an advocate for the region. “Mr Masisi is bringing new energy and impetus to the AIDS response in Botswana with a focus on HIV prevention,” said Mr Sidibé. The President participated in a moderated dialogue along with a high-level delegation that included the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation and the Minister of Health and Wellbeing as well as the First Lady of Botswana. During the discussions, the President described Botswana’s financial investments in health, HIV and its people.  He highlighted that mother-to-child HIV transmission is on the verge of being eliminated and that more than 80% of people living with HIV are on treatment.

However, challenges remain. “When you disempower a young girl through violence or unwanted sexual experience, she is affected for life,” Mr Masisi said. In order to curtail new HIV infections, the President committed to redefining the roles and engagement of young boys and men. Mr Masisi and Mr Sidibé then recognized former President Festus Mogae’s long-standing efforts to turn the country around from despair to hope when Botswana faced the HIV crisis initially.  

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, 19 September 2018—UNAIDS welcomes the decision by its third largest donor, the Netherlands, to increase its funding to UNAIDS by more than 20%. The Netherlands will provide US$ 23.3 million in core funding in 2018, compared to US$ 19.2 million in 2017. 

“I am encouraged by the Netherland’s firm commitment to UNAIDS and to the response to HIV. Despite tremendous progress, there are still miles to go to reach critical targets, and time is running out,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “This increase in funding will help UNAIDS’ efforts in leading the response to push AIDS into permanent decline.” 

The funding agreement was signed in Geneva, Switzerland, by Mr Sidibé and Monique van Daalen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations in Geneva. The increased contributions from the Netherlands will go towards supporting the implementation of UNAIDS’ 2016–2021 Strategy, which includes reducing new HIV infections to below 500 000 and ensuring that 30 million people living with HIV have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy by 2020. 

“UNAIDS’ mandate is clear and specific, namely to end AIDS. UNAIDS’ leadership has been critical in achieving the progress we have seen to date,” said Ms van Daalen. “UNAIDS is an important knowledge centre and uses critical data and information, also on existing barriers, to advocate for a more effective AIDS response. Increased and consistent funding for UNAIDS will ensure that no one is left behind. UNAIDS’ focus on the most vulnerable groups is crucial.”

UNAIDS is funded entirely through voluntary contributions. Fully funding its work is critical to achieving UNAIDS’ vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.

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, 6 September 2018—UNAIDS welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court of India to annul key provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 377 criminalizes sexual relations between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.

“Today is a day of gay pride, a day of celebration, a day when respect and dignity was finally restored in India for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “I applaud the brave activists, civil society organizations and community groups that have fought long and hard for this injustice to be reversed.”

Criminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relations is a violation of human rights and legitimizes prejudice and violence against LGBTI people. Criminalization hinders people from accessing and using HIV prevention, testing and treatment services and increases their risk of acquiring HIV.

In India, HIV prevalence among gay men and other men who have sex with men is 2.7% and among transgender people is 3.1%, compared to the national HIV prevalence among all adults of just 0.26%. Around three out of ten gay men and four out of ten transgender people in India who are living with HIV do not know their HIV status. Many LGBTI people living with HIV do not have access to HIV treatment.

Gay men account for 18% of all new HIV infections worldwide. UNAIDS urges countries to ensure the full respect of the human rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, through repealing laws that prohibit sex between consenting adults in private, enforcing laws to protect people from violence and discrimination, addressing homophobia and transphobia and ensuring that crucial health services are made available.

“I hope this decision sets the trend and is followed by similar decisions in other countries that remove unjust laws criminalizing homosexuality,” said Mr Sidibé.

In June 2016, United Nations Member States committed in the Political Declaration on Ending AIDS to promote laws and policies that ensure the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for children, adolescents and young people, particularly those living with, at risk of and affected by HIV, so as to eliminate the stigma and discrimination that they face.

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, 10 August 2018—UNAIDS welcomes the appointment of former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as the United Nations new human rights chief.

Ms Bachelet ended her second four-year term as president earlier this year, having already held the post between 2006 and 2010. She was the first woman to be elected to Chile’s highest office. After her first term, she was appointed the first ever Executive Director of the UN gender equality office, UN-Women based in New York.

A former paediatrician, the politician also held key government posts as Chile’s Minister of Defence and Minister of Health.

The High Commissioner is the top official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system, strengthening human rights mechanisms; enhancing equality; fighting discrimination in all its forms; strengthening accountability and the rule of law; widening the democratic space and protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuse. Headquartered in Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is mandated to promote and protect the universal exercise and full realization of human rights, across the world, as established in the UN Charter.

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.

Results from population-based HIV impact surveys provide insight into where investments are needed

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 22 July 2018—Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Africa have released new survey data on progress towards the 2020 targets. The Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire population-based HIV impact assessment (PHIA) surveys and the South African survey all studied knowledge of HIV status, new HIV infections, condom use, voluntary medical male circumcision, antiretroviral therapy coverage, viral suppression and other indicators. 

In South Africa, which has the largest HIV epidemic in the world with more than 7 million people living with HIV and the largest treatment programme in the world with 4.4 million people on antiretroviral therapy, the new data combined with similar data from an earlier survey indicate that there has been a 40% reduction in the rate of new adult HIV infections between 2010 and 2017.

“These surveys are incredibly important and play a vital role in helping countries to review and refine their HIV programming to make sure that the right services are reaching people affected by HIV,” said Michel Sidibé Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The survey data confirm UNAIDS estimates which indicate that South Africa has also improved treatment coverage and is very close to reaching the 90-90-90* treatment targets. It found that 85% of people living with HIV knew their HIV status, 71% of people who knew their status were accessing antiretroviral treatment and 86% of people who were accessing treatment had supressed viral loads.

Viral load suppression among all people living with HIV in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire however was less than 50% reflecting low treatment coverage. The two countries are far from reaching the 90-90-90 targets at 47%, 91% and 80% and 37%, 88% and 76% respectively.

The largest difference between the southern African country and the two western and central African countries is observed in knowledge of HIV status, indicating that HIV testing services need to be significantly scaled up in west and central Africa.

The PHIA surveys provide key information for identifying characteristics of the populations that are not receiving services. In Cameroon, viral load suppression varied by province from 28% to 63%. In South Africa less than 50% of children and young men (ages 15-34 years) living with HIV had suppressed viral load (compared to 67% among the women aged 15-49). These data will provide critical information to allow programme managers to direct their responses to the populations and locations most in need of services.

The PHIA surveys, were led by Columbia University in collaboration with country governments and supported by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The South African survey was conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council

* 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their status are receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

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.

Seventy-seven per cent of all adults living with HIV are virally supressed in Namibia

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 26 July 2018—UNAIDS welcomes new survey data showing that 77% of all adults living with HIV in Namibia are virally suppressed. The Namibia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA) survey included 24 000 people from 0–64 years old. Participants were offered HIV counselling and testing as well as linkage to care and treatment for people who tested positive for HIV.

“Namibia’s concerted efforts to reach people with HIV testing and treatment are producing extraordinary results,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “UNAIDS will continue to support Namibia in reaching all people living with HIV with testing and treatment and in boosting Namibia’s HIV prevention efforts to further bring down new HIV infections.”

NAMPHIA was a widespread household HIV survey funded by the Government of the United States of America and conducted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Columbia University and local government and nongovernmental partners from June to December 2017.

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.

UNAIDS warns that countries urgently need to take proven, tailored, evidence-informed primary HIV prevention programmes to scale in addition to increasing access to treatment.

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 24 July 2018—UNAIDS is urging countries to take bold action to address the HIV prevention crisis. Around 1.8 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2017 and around 50 countries experienced a rise in new HIV infections as HIV prevention services are not being provided on an adequate scale or with sufficient intensity.

“Health is a human rights imperative and we are deeply concerned about the lack of political commitment and the failure to invest in proven HIV programmes, particularly for young people and key populations,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “If countries think they can treat their way out of their epidemics, they are dangerously mistaken.”

UNAIDS’ newly released report, Miles to go: closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices, shows that 47% of new HIV infections globally are among key populations. Although combination HIV prevention approaches work for key populations, including harm reduction, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), social care and condoms, many countries are unwilling to invest in approaches viewed as culturally or religiously inappropriate, unpopular or counter to the bad laws that may exist in a particular country.   

HIV prevalence can be high as up to 70% among sex workers in some southern African countries; however, about three quarters of countries reporting to UNAIDS criminalize some aspect of sex work and sex workers report that condoms are often confiscated by the police.

In eastern Europe and central Asia, one third of all new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs; however, 87% of countries reporting to UNAIDS criminalize drug use or possession of drugs, driving people underground and out of reach of HIV services. Many countries do not make sterile injecting equipment and opioid substitution therapy widely available, which is a huge barrier to efforts to bring down new HIV infections among this population and their partners.

Gay men and other men who have sex with men accounted for around 57% of new HIV infections in western and central Europe and North America in 2017 and an estimated 41% of new infections in Latin America. However, globally, access to HIV services for men who have sex with men is still being blocked by bad laws. Of 100 countries reporting to UNAIDS, at least 44 had laws specifically criminalizing same-sex sexual intercourse. The death penalty applied in two countries.

“If countries don’t provide comprehensive sexuality education, condoms, harm reduction or pre-exposure prophylaxis for key populations, this will ultimately translate into more new HIV infections, higher future treatment costs and a higher burden for health-care budgets and systems,” said Mr Sidibé.

Countries that have invested are seeing results. In Finland’s capital, Helsinki, for example, scale-up of harm reduction and HIV testing and treatment services led to a steep drop in new HIV infections and high rates of viral suppression among people who inject drugs. The number new HIV diagnoses in this key population decreased from more than 60 in 1999 to almost zero in 2014.

In San Francisco, United States of America, PrEP was added to programmes that include HIV testing, rapid linkages to antiretroviral therapy and boosting support for retention in care. Between 2013 and the end of 2016, there was a 43% decrease in new HIV diagnoses in the city, a decline that is being attributed to both quicker achievement of viral suppression among people who test HIV-positive and to increased uptake of PrEP.

Women and girls also need access to HIV prevention. In 2017, around 6500 women and girls were infected with HIV every week. Limited access to education, a lack of economic autonomy and a lack of decision-making power, including over their own health, expose them to intimate partner violence, limit their ability to practise safer sex and limit their ability to benefit from HIV and sexual and reproductive health services, making them more vulnerable to HIV infection.

Women and girls must have the knowledge and power to protect themselves against HIV in safe and enabling environments and must be able to access services that meet their needs. This requires countries to reform discriminatory laws that perpetuate inequality and develop and enforce laws that promote gender equality.

Young people also need age-appropriate youth-friendly health services. More than two thirds of countries reporting to UNAIDS require parental consent for a child under 18 years to access HIV testing, and more than half require consent for HIV treatment.

While most countries have significantly scaled up their HIV treatment programmes, some to the extent of reaching 80% of people living with HIV with antiretroviral therapy, the HIV prevention benefits of treatment that countries had hoped to achieve are not yet being realized. People are are not being diagnosed and treated soon enough, allowing transmissions to occur before they start treatment or if treatment is interrupted.

Botswana, for example, has nearly reached its 90–90–90* targets, as 86% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 84% of people who know their status are on antiretroviral therapy and 81% of people on antiretroviral therapy are virally supressed. However, new HIV infections have failed to see any declines since 2010.

To urgently address the HIV prevention crisis and increase political commitment for HIV prevention, a Global HIV Prevention Coalition of United Nations Member States, donors, civil society organizations and implementers was established in 2017 that includes the 25 highest HIV burden countries.

The overarching goal of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition is to strengthen and sustain political commitment for primary HIV prevention by setting a common agenda—the HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map—among key policy-makers, funders and programme implementers to accelerate progress towards reducing new HIV infections by 75% by 2020.

On 23 July 2018, the Global HIV Prevention Coalition came together at an event at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to discuss the urgency for scaling up HIV prevention, share progress made and address persisting challenges, including policy barriers and inadequate financing for HIV prevention.

The Global HIV Prevention Coalition recently launched its first progress report, Implementation of the HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map, which shows that while initial progress has been made, more efforts are needed to move from political commitment to strong actions on the ground. 

* 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their status are receiving antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

For more information on the HIV prevention crisis, go to unaids.org.

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, 20 July 2018—Following the call by the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, for an external high-level independent panel to provide recommendations to UNAIDS to further strengthen implementation of its zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board agreed to create an Independent Expert Panel. The panel will:

• Review the current situation in the UNAIDS Secretariat with regard to harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and abuse of power and retaliation, including by looking back over the past seven years, to assess the organizational culture at headquarters and the regional and country offices.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures to prevent and address harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying, retaliation and abuse of power, in the UNAIDS Secretariat workplace.
• Recommend a comprehensive set of prioritized measures on organizational culture, policies and fair and due process procedures with respect to harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying, retaliation and abuse of power in the workplace.

The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Bureau has now announced that the panel will be comprised of:

• Professor Gillian Triggs (Australia)—Chair
• Sir Robert Francis (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
• Ms Vrinda Grover (India)
• Dr Fulata Moyo (Malawi)
• Ms Charlotte Petri Gornitzka (Sweden)

The Chair of the panel, Professor Gillian Triggs, has issued a statement inviting confidential written submissions on matters related to the work of the panel to be sent to IEPChair@qedconsulting.com.

The UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Bureau has also selected QED Consulting to perform the function of secretariat to the Independent Expert Panel. The selection was made through a competitive tendering process. The appointment of QED Consulting as the secretariat will support the independent functioning of the Independent Expert Panel.

More details about the Independent Expert Panel and its functioning can be found at http://www.unaids.org/en/whoweare/pcb/iep.

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.

United Nations Secretary-General presents his report on HIV as United Nations General Assembly meets to review progress towards ending AIDS

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 13 June 2018—At the halfway point to the 2020 Fast-Track Targets agreed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016, United Nations Member States have come together to review progress in responding to HIV. Gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America, Member States presented the progress and challenges in their countries and heard from the United Nations Secretary-General, who presented his report on the global response to HIV.

The President of the General Assembly Miroslav Lajčák opened the meeting. “We cannot forget that what we are doing today ties into our other goals and objectives,” he said. “We can use today’s meeting to explore opportunities for even more action. Let’s keep going. Let’s keep fighting this virus—and the stigma that comes with it.”

The United Nations Secretary-General presented his report, Leveraging the AIDS response for United Nations reform and global health, and said, “The world is making good progress towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, but progress is uneven and fragile. At this pivotal moment, we must renew our focus and shared commitment to a world free of AIDS.”

The report shows that the exponential scale-up of antiretroviral therapy has now reached more than half of all people living with HIV, which in turn has contributed to a decline of one third in AIDS-related deaths, from 1.5 million in 2010 to 1 million in 2016. It also notes the progress in stopping new HIV infections among children and highlights that eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV is possible if the world remains focused.

The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, attended the plenary meeting. He said, “We are at a critical juncture on the path towards ending AIDS. We must unite and use our collective force to push HIV into permanent decline.”

More than 30 Member States reported on progress in their countries, many expressing their appreciation and support for the work of UNAIDS and the Joint Programme while reiterating their commitment to achieving the targets in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS.

“The United States strongly supports UNAIDS and its leadership in combatting the HIV/AIDS pandemic,” said Deborah Birx, United States Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. “UNAIDS’ focus on producing the most extensive data collection on HIV epidemiology continues to be fundamentally important and is our road map to controlling this pandemic. We cannot achieve the targets to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 without the right data to track our progress, pinpoint our unmet need and effectively and efficiently direct resources for maximum impact.”

The report of the United Nations Secretary-General shows that while the number of people accessing treatment almost tripled from 2010 to June 2017, from 7.7 million people on treatment to 20.9 million, 15.8 million people are still in need of treatment, and progress in expanding access to treatment for children is particularly slow. Just 43% of children living with HIV had access to treatment in 2016.

It also flags that more needs to be done to stop new HIV infections. New HIV infections declined by 18% from 2010 to 2016, from 2.2 million to 1.8 million, but to reach the target of 500 000 new infections by 2020 HIV prevention efforts must be significantly stepped up, particularly among populations at higher risk, a sentiment echoed by many of the speakers at the plenary meeting.

Lazarus O. Amayo, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations, spoke on behalf of the African Group. “A lot remains to be done as AIDS continues to disproportionately affect sub-Saharan Africa, with the risk of new HIV infections remaining exceptionally high among young women in eastern and southern Africa,” he said. “We reiterate the need for a comprehensive, universal and integrated approach to HIV and AIDS, as well as investments towards it.” In eastern and southern Africa, young women aged between 15 and 24 years account for 26% of new HIV infections, despite making up just 10% of the population.

The report shows there is still much work to do to reach the targets in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS, including filling the US$ 7 billion shortfall in funding for the AIDS response. It sets out five strong recommendations to get countries on track, including mobilizing an HIV testing revolution, safeguarding human rights and promoting gender equality and using the HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map to accelerate reductions in new HIV infections.  

In 2016 (*June 2017) an estimated:

• *20.9 million [18.4 million–21.7 million] people were accessing antiretroviral therapy (in June 2017)
• 36.7 million [30.8 million–42.9 million] people globally were living with HIV
• 1.8 million [1.6 million–2.1 million] people became newly infected with HIV
• 1.0 million [830 000–1.2 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses

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.