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.

4 July 2022—UNAIDS congratulates the Argentinian Congress on the approval of a new law on a comprehensive response to HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The bill, which has had input from a number of civil society organizations, replaces 30-year-old legislation and changes the country’s health approach from a biomedical approach to an approach more focused on gender and human rights. The new law calls for an end to stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV or STIs and aims to stop criminalization of HIV exposure or transmission.

By prohibiting mandatory testing for HIV and other STIs as part of pre-employment exams, the new law also seeks to protect against discrimination in all areas (with emphasis on the workplace) and ensures the privacy of the diagnosis.

“We join the civil society and community movements in this important celebration. The new law is evidence-based and written from the perspective of human rights,” celebrates Alberto Stella, UNAIDS Country Director for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. “The HIV response in the country now counts on a broad framework of social protection, very much in line with the Global AIDS Strategy (2021-2026), which focuses on ending inequalities to end the AIDS epidemic.”

Besides eradicating discriminatory practices, the new legislation also includes the possibility of early retirement at 50 years old for people who have been living with the virus for ten years and who have paid at least 20 years of pension contributions. It also allows access to a non-contributory pension for life in cases of social vulnerability.

The new bill pays a historical debt for dozens of activists who occupied the balconies of Congress in recent voting sessions and the thousands of people living with HIV they represent. “We are one step closer to eliminating barriers to the implementation of self-testing and promoting prevention strategies such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)”, celebrated Fundación Huesped, an Argentinian organization with a regional reach that has advocated for the right to health since 1989.

The new law also recognizes specific rights of women, guarantees the right to health of their children and ensures compliance with the rights recognized in the law for the Integral Protection of Women.

“This is the result of the articulated work conducted by civil society who not only led its elaboration but who also did excellent and hard work on advocacy,” says Stella. “Along with the National HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STI department of the Ministry of Health, UNAIDS was able to contribute with advocacy efforts and the facilitation of dialogues, providing evidence and the informing on international guidelines.”

The new bill also proposes the national production of medication and supplies.

The latest estimates from the UNAIDS 2021 Global AIDS Update report show that 140 000 people are living with HIV in Argentina and 65% of whom are on antiretroviral treatment. Every year 5600 people are newly infected with HIV, and 1400 people die 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.

GENEVA, 17 June 2022—UNAIDS applauds the decision by the Supreme Court to issue directions on protecting the wellbeing and fundamental rights of sex workers under the Indian constitution, including the right to life and liberty with respect for an individual’s dignity. 

“This historic order will save lives and help India advance towards the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030,” said David Bridger, UNAIDS Country Director for India. “The evidence is clear— protecting the safety and human rights of marginalised people expands access to HIV services, accelerating progress in the response to HIV by increasing the number of people on treatment and reducing new infections.” 

In its ruling in Budhadev Karmaskar versus the State of West Bengal, Criminal Appeal No. 135 of 2010, the Supreme Court has issued directions that the police and other relevant authorities should receive appropriate training to ensure that they are aware of sex workers’ rights and ensure they are upheld. The ruling also calls for sex workers who experience sexual violence to have full access to protection and support services, ending practices that undermine access to existing survivor-friendly procedures and protocols available to the general population. The directions confirm that the possession of condoms should not be treated as a criminal matter. They also direct the authorities to issue Aadhar cards, key for accessing poverty alleviation support, to sex workers who are unable to provide proof of residence; and require the development of media guidelines to protect the privacy and confidentiality of sex workers, and to ensure sex workers are informed about their legal rights, including the right to justice.

“We hope that all the recommendations made by the Supreme Court will be followed by all, especially the police and the press, as reflected in the ruling,” said Bharati Dey, Ex-Secretary, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, and Bishakha Laskar, President of the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee. “We hope that the recommendations will diminish stigma and discrimination experienced by sex workers.”  

Sex workers, along with other marginalized communities, often find it difficult to access essential services, such as health, because of criminalization, stigma and discrimination. This ruling further underlines how evidence-informed, people-centred approaches are key to widening access to HIV treatment, prevention and care services, and to ending the AIDS pandemic for everyone.  

The Supreme Court of India has played a significant role in protecting and upholding the rights of marginalized communities over the past decade, granting hijras and other transgender people the right to recognition as a third gender, outlawing HIV-related discrimination, and striking down the provision in the Penal Code that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual conduct. 

GENEVA, 27 May 2022—UNAIDS welcomes the Chilean Government’s public acknowledgement of international responsibility in the emblematic case of violations of the rights of women living with HIV who were sterilized without their consent. The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric Font, has issued a public apology as part of a settlement resulting from a case brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the Chilean state by Francisca, a Chilean woman living with HIV who was sterilized without her consent shortly after giving birth in 2002.

“We welcome the recognition of international accountability in this emblematic case of human rights violations that women living with HIV and their reproductive autonomy have long suffered,” said Luisa Cabal, Director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Latin America and the Caribbean. “It vindicates a journey of more than 10 years, both for Francisca and the organizations that accompanied her, in her quest for justice.” 

When Francisca—a young woman from a rural town in Chile—turned 20 years old, she and her partner received the happy news of the arrival of their first child. She was diagnosed with HIV in a routine prenatal test. Francisca took all appropriate measures to minimize the risk of vertical transmission of HIV and gave birth to an HIV-negative baby boy in November 2002. However, the day after the caesarean section, Francisca received the devastating news that the surgeon on duty had decided to sterilize her during delivery and without her consent. 

In 2009, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Chilean organization Vivo Positivo took Francisca’s case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This case was part of a documentation of stories of Chilean women living with HIV who were often pressured not to become pregnant, as well as to undergo surgical sterilization. One of the documented accounts tells of another woman, identified as Daniela, who, after giving birth, was told that she could not hug or kiss her newborn child because she would transmit HIV to her baby. She said in interviews that this was how she understood what discrimination was. 

After more than a decade of international litigation and after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights studied the case, a friendly settlement agreement was signed with the Chilean state, in which the government accepted its responsibility and committed to redress the violations and to take measures to ensure that such acts would not happen again. 

UNAIDS intervened in this case with an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief that informed the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the health guidelines and human rights standards that each country must follow to respect, protect and guarantee the human rights of people living with HIV. 

“I would like to start by apologising to Francisca, who I understand is on the other side of the camera, for the serious violation of your rights and also for the denial of justice and for all the time you had to wait for this,” Mr Boric said at the opening of his speech during the official ceremony, broadcast live on social media. “How many people like you do we not know? It hurts to think that the state, which today I have the honour to represent, is responsible for these cases. I pledge to you, and to those who today represent you here in person, that while we govern, we will give the best of each one of us as authorities so that something like this will never happen again and certainly so that in cases where these atrocities have already been committed, they will be properly redressed.” 

“I would love to have been me, with my voice, my face and my body, the one who after so many years of struggle stood present to lead this act in my own name. However, making my identity known would have closed endless doors for me,” said Carmen Martinez, the Associate Director of Legal Strategies for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Center for Reproductive Rights, as she read the words shared by Francisca to the audience. “To this day, people who carry HIV are still looked down upon with contempt as if it was our decision to become infected. However, I want to believe with conviction that this will change.” 

“Finally, justice was done; through this case we call on all governments to continue to invest in the elimination of HIV discrimination in all services, including health care,” said Sara Araya, the Coordinator of Live Positive Gender. “The message is clear: the autonomy and physical integrity of women and all people living with HIV must be secured without discrimination. No more rights violations against women living with HIV.”  

HIV-related stigma and discrimination has a significant impact on the health, lives and well-being of people living with or at risk of HIV. Stigma and discrimination hinders the HIV response by limiting access to broader sexual and reproductive health and other health services. UNAIDS continues to work daily to ensure that governments invest in preventing and responding to violations linked to the forms of intersectional discrimination to which people living with HIV have been subjected.

Francisca delivered a healthy baby boy in 2002 and was then sterilized without her consent by the doctor who carried out her caesarean section, making the decision that a woman living with HIV should not be able to have children. The friendly agreement announced this week comes after more than a decade’s litigation by the woman and her legal teams.

“This settlement is a significant moment for women around the world who have been fighting for reproductive justice for decades. Coercive sterilization of women living with HIV is a violation of women’s most fundamental human rights,” said the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima. “Unfortunately, this practice is still happening in many countries and efforts to stop it and bring justice to more women must be stepped up.”

This settlement comes after years of efforts before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights after an earlier complaint in the Chilean justice system was unsuccessful. The case was litigated by the Chilean organization Vivo Positivo and the international human rights organization Center for Reproductive Rights.

The Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026: End Inequalities, End AIDS is based on the promotion of human rights, gender equality and dignity, free from stigma and discrimination for all people living with and affected by HIV. It is a commitment by UNAIDS to an ambitious vision to end gender inequalities and realize human rights, including the right to health, calling on all partners and stakeholders in the HIV response in all countries to transform unequal gender norms and end stigma and discrimination.

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, 06 May 2022—UNAIDS warmly congratulates John Nkengasong on confirmation by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally. As the new U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Dr Nkengasong will lead the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

“This is great news for the world. John Nkengasong is an inspired choice to lead PEPFAR,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “He is one of the world’s leading experts on HIV and pandemic preparedness and has practical experience on how to advance efforts to end AIDS amidst the COVID pandemic. We need the kind of bold thinking and commitment that he has brought throughout his career. It will be a true honour to work with him in his new role, supporting continued United States leadership on HIV, and strengthening the life-saving partnership between the UNAIDS Joint Programme and PEPFAR.”

An HIV virologist with more than three decades of experience in the global HIV response, Dr Nkengasong’s work on COVID-19 in his most recent highly acclaimed role as the founding director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has been internationally recognized.

PEPFAR is a critical partner of UNAIDS, with an unprecedented proven track record of global life-saving work. In over 80 countries, PEPFAR and UNAIDS work hand-in-hand providing support to governments and communities to implement the Global AIDS Strategy and accelerate ending AIDS. Together they ensure that efforts are focused on the people and areas most affected by HIV, including supporting children, women and girls, and key populations.

Since its inception in 2003, the US Government, with bipartisan support, has invested over US$100 billion through PEPFAR – the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease. The United States’ investments and efforts have saved more than 21 million lives, prevented millions of HIV infections, and accelerated progress toward ending AIDS in over 50 countries.

The world is currently confronted with dual global pandemics. As Dr Nkengasong has noted, “We have seen how COVID-19 has affected some progress in our HIV efforts with devastating results, but we have also witnessed how the health systems and institutions built and strengthened by PEPFAR’s investments have been central to the COVID-19 response.” Through bold global action, the end of AIDS is possible, and actions to accelerate ending AIDS will strengthen the world’s efforts to beat all pandemics.

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, 7 April 2022—UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the International Labour Organization (ILO) that Gilbert F. Houngbo, who is from Togo, has been elected as the organization’s 11th Director-General. Mr Houngbo will begin his five-year term in October 2022, taking over from the current Director-General, Guy Ryder.

“I am truly delighted that Gilbert F. Houngbo will be taking on the role of Director-General of the International Labour Organization,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “His commitment to social justice and people-centred global solutions is close to my heart and I look forward to working with him to end inequalities and improve the lives of the most vulnerable, including people living with HIV.”

HIV and other pandemics have a significant impact on labour and productivity and represent a huge burden for working people, their families and communities. HIV-related stigma and discrimination threatens the fundamental rights at work of people living with HIV and undermines their opportunities to obtain decent and sustainable employment.

ILO is the specialized United Nations agency responsible for the world of work. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. A Cosponsor of UNAIDS, ILO is the lead agency on HIV workplace policies and programmes and private sector mobilization.

GENEVA, 7 April 2022—The German Federal Government has agreed to host a new UNAIDS office in Bonn. The agreement is part of Germany’s commitment to reinforce its partnership with the United Nations and part of UNAIDS’ commitment to realign its work to the new Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026: End Inequalities, End AIDS.

“UNAIDS welcomes this important support by Germany,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Germany is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to end AIDS through shared responsibility and global solidarity, and we look forward to working ever more closely into the future towards our common goals.”

The UNAIDS office will house UNAIDS’ management support functions, including People Management, Information and Communications Technology, Finance and the Independent Evaluation Office. Operations will begin in mid-2022 and will be part of the UNAIDS Secretariat’s more geographically distributed “global centre”. Approximately 45 UNAIDS staff will be working in Bonn, a location that also hosts United Nations organizations that include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Volunteers programme, the United Nations Global Centre for Human Resources Services and the United Nations System Staff College Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development. It will become the third largest United Nations office in Bonn and joins 25 other United Nations entities with a presence in the city.

“With this relocation of UNAIDS staff to Bonn, Germany shows its commitment to supporting the important work of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in the global AIDS response and reflects Germany’s commitment to global health overall. We hope that this move as part of the realignment process will contribute to a more effective and cost-efficient UNAIDS. We welcome the United Nations staff to Bonn,” said the German Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach.

The Government of Germany, parliamentarians, civil society and other partners in Germany have long shown commitment to the global HIV response and to global health and health security. Germany has provided regular contributions to UNAIDS and was the third largest donor in 2020, investing a total of almost US$ 30 million in that year, and pledged US$ 1 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at its last replenishment.

A valued partner of UNAIDS, the Government of Germany is firmly committed to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and has invested significant resources to ensure that no one is left behind. In 2020, Germany contributed an additional €20 million to UNAIDS above its core contribution to strengthen the response to HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

As shipments of antiretroviral treatment arrive, challenges are mounting to ensure it reaches those in need

GENEVA, 5 April 2022—The war in Ukraine has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis with rapidly growing numbers of deaths and casualties, the destruction of entire cities and towns and unconscionable attacks on health facilities and other civilian targets. This is putting Ukrainians living with HIV in grave danger.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to access the health care they need, including services for HIV,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “UNAIDS estimates that 260 000 people were living with HIV in Ukraine before the war broke out, 152 000 of whom were taking daily medication for HIV. There is no cure for HIV. Without access to antiretroviral medicines people living with HIV will die.”

The World Health Organization estimates that there have been 82 separate attacks on hospitals, ambulances and doctors in Ukraine since the war began, killing 72 and injuring at least 43 people. Nearly 50% of Ukraine’s pharmacies are presumed to be closed and many health workers are either displaced or unable to work.

UNAIDS with its cosponsors WHO and UNICEF together with USAID, PEPFAR, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are working to ensure a 12-month supply of the medicines for people living with HIV in Ukraine. A delivery of 209 000, 90-day supplies of antiretroviral medicines has arrived in Lviv, Ukraine ready to be distributed to people in need. However, distribution within Ukraine is set to be a challenge, particularly in conflict areas. UNAIDS urges respect for and protection of humanitarian corridors to allow for the distribution of humanitarian aid and safe passage for civilians to safety.

The UN Secretary-General has called for “unimpeded access to all affected people and communities” to be guaranteed, and for an end to the war.

“Through remarkable efforts by civil society and government, most sites providing antiretroviral therapy are still at least partially functioning, but the war has disrupted supply chains and patients’ access to those sites,” said Ms Byanyima. “Partners on the ground are scrambling to get lifesaving medicines to people safely. The flexible ability of civil society to reach people is vital and funds are urgently needed to support and strengthen these critical life-lines.”  

UNAIDS has issued an appeal for funds to support people living with HIV and key populations with access to HIV services and basic humanitarian needs including the uninterrupted provision of HIV treatment and harm reduction services such as opioid substitution therapy (OST—an effective treatment for dependence on opioids). People living with HIV are urged to contact the Ukrainian HIV hotline number* for more information on the availability of HIV treatment.

A number of prisons are no longer controlled by the government of Ukraine. Prisoners in need must have access to antiretroviral therapy for HIV, or OST (in the case of dependence on opioids).

More than 4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the war began. It is estimated that up to 1% of refugees could be living with HIV and in need HIV services. UNAIDS with its cosponsors WHO and UNHCR have held talks with the neighbouring countries of Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary and Poland to brief their respective capitals and health officials on the needs of refugees living with HIV as well as the importance of providing HIV prevention services.

As part of efforts to ensure continuity of HIV treatment, UNAIDS and cosponsor WHO have helped broker a deal with the pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare to provide donations of HIV medicines to Poland, the Czech Republic and other European Union countries receiving large numbers of Ukrainian refugees. More support for Ukrainian refugees living with HIV can be found on the ART Initiative for Ukrainians Abroad website which was established in coordination with Ukraine’s Public Health Centre.

The World Health Organization is working with Ukraine’s Public Health Centre on collecting data, while maintaining confidentiality, to understand the whereabouts and needs of people living with HIV affected by the war. There is currently no precise data on the movements of people living with HIV who have already left the country.

UNAIDS is monitoring the situation and closely and working with civil society organizations to support refugees and people living with HIV in Ukraine. UNAIDS is also working to ensure people from key populations including the LGBTI community both in Ukraine and those who have left the country have access to humanitarian services. 

*HIV hotline number in Ukraine: 0800 500 451

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 March 2022—In the lead-up to the International Transgender Day of Visibility, on 31 March, UNAIDS has launched an initiative to raise awareness among parents, teachers and the wider community about gender identity during childhood.

The Unbox Me campaign advocates for the rights of transgender children. Most children love to have boxes or hidden places in which they can hide precious trinkets or prized possessions safely and securely. The hidden objects can reveal a lot about the child—who he or she is, what he or she likes and what his or her dreams are. For some transgender children, this act of hiding treasures in a box becomes a way of hiding their identity from disapproving eyes. Unbox Me is about giving transgender children visibility. It is a call for inclusion and acceptance.

In India, more than 90% of transgender people leave their homes or are thrown out by the age of 15 years. Inevitably, many live on the street with no money or education, often relying on sex work. Despite the campaign originating from India, its theme of acceptance and inclusion is universal.

Transgender people around the world are often marginalized and experience discrimination and violence. As a result, transgender people have a 34 times greater risk of acquiring HIV than other adults. Up to 24 countries in the world criminalize or prosecute transgender people. For example, early in the COVID-19 response, some governments instituted gender-specific mobility days during lockdowns, which resulted in arrests against transgender people out on the “wrong” day.

Stigma, discrimination and criminalization tend to make transgender and gender-diverse people invisible, with extreme forms of discrimination leading to even the denial of the existence of gender-diverse people.

This campaign is part of an ongoing UNAIDS collaboration with advertising agency FCB India. Last year, UNAIDS partnered with FCB and released a successful short film, The Mirror, as part of the #SeeMeAsIAm campaign about a young boy looking in the mirror and dressing up as a woman. The film served to raise awareness among parents, teachers and the wider community about gender identity during childhood. Building on the film, Unbox Me seeks to bring home the reality of the many transgender children who are denied their true identity. 

Swati Bhattacharya, FCB India’s Creative Chairperson, who conceptualized this campaign, said, “In India, children usually have a box which they use to store their most precious possessions, but in the case of transgender children they need to hide their box of treasures, since some of their most precious possessions don’t fit the gender norm that society expects them to conform to.”

UNAIDS works closely with the transgender community, civil society organizations and governments all around the world to decriminalize transgender people, secure their rights and ensure that they have access to health, education and social protection and that they are protected from abuse and exploitation.

“Many of us take our gender identity for granted, but for many children it is not so easy. It’s a matter of daily survival, a daily struggle,” said Mahesh Mahalingam, the UNAIDS Director of Communications and Global Advocacy. “Children all around the world must be supported in expressing their identity freely.”

In India, the Unbox Me campaign has garnered support among the education community. Teachers in many schools across India are using the boxes featured in the campaign as a conversation starter to raise awareness about gender identity.

Many prominent personalities and community leaders have also participated in the Unbox Me campaign, notably Indian film director Zoya Akhtar and television anchor Barkha Dutt.

UNAIDS is now extending the campaign to the global level.

If you would like to participate in the campaign or share your thoughts, contact UNAIDS at Communications@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.

On World Tuberculosis Day 2022, UNAIDS is calling for urgency in diagnosing and treating TB as TB deaths among people living with HIV rise for the first time after years of progressive decline

GENEVA, 23 March 2022—Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, accounting for around one third of AIDS-related deaths globally. Coordinated and scaled up efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat the two diseases had resulted in a 68% decline in TB deaths among people living with HIV between 2006 and 2019. However, in its 2021 Global Tuberculosis Report, the World Health Organization announced that TB deaths among people living with HIV increased for the first time in 13 years, from 209 000 in 2019 to 214 000 in 2020.

“The increase in TB deaths among people living with HIV is alarming and demonstrates the fragility of pandemic progress,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “When COVID-19 hit, global attention on HIV and TB shifted as the world focused on tackling the new pandemic. This has meant lives needlessly lost and important targets missed for HIV, TB and other diseases. Urgent action and increased investments are needed to get us back on track.”

People living with HIV are 18 times more likely to develop TB disease. Although around 85% of people who develop TB disease can be successfully treated, the treatment success rates for people living with HIV are much lower, at around 77%. This demonstrates the importance of scaling up prevention efforts as well as treatment for the two diseases.

Concerted and collective action in this area has saved lives in recent years. Between 2018 and 2020, some 7.5 million people living with HIV were given preventive TB treatment, surpassing the global target of 6 million. But much more needs to be done to address the underlying inequalities that continue to fuel the spread of HIV and TB.

Refugees and displaced people are at particularly high risk of developing TB. At the end of 2020, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimated that 82.4 million people around the world were displaced from their homes. The war in Ukraine has already forced 3.5 million people to flee the country and millions more are internally displaced. It is critical that Ukraine and its neighbouring countries receive urgent support to provide essential health services for people affected by the war, including services for TB and HIV.   

“In this time of crisis, there is an opportunity to build a pandemic-resilient future if leaders work together to tackle the inequalities that endanger us all,” said Ms Byanyima. “While AIDS, TB and COVID-19 each spread in unique ways, we are watching as each is driven by social and economic inequality that leaves some communities more vulnerable and the whole world at risk. We can address those inequalities, or we can let these pandemics continue—the power is in our hands.”

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) is the leading international funder of TB programmes; however, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of people treated for TB in the countries where the Global Fund invests fell by around 1 million. This year, at its seventh replenishment, the Global Fund is calling for an additional US$ 18 billion to save 20 million lives and get the world back on track towards ending HIV, TB and malaria. To end the three diseases by 2030 and build strong national health systems to respond to emerging pandemics, it is essential that the Global Fund be fully funded.

UNAIDS is continuing to work with partners to reach the HIV/TB targets set for 2025, which include ensuring that 90% of people living with HIV receive preventive treatment for TB and reducing TB-related deaths among people living with HIV by 80% (from a 2010 baseline). To make this happen will require the Global Fund to be fully funded and that investments be made in research and development, in expanding services as well as in adopting new and innovative strategies to reach everyone in need.

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.