‘Global problems need global solidarity’: UNAIDS Executive Director shares facts and figures on World AIDS Day 2020

On World AIDS Day 2020, World Health Organisation highlighted that 68% of adults residing with HIV obtained lifelong antiretroviral remedy (ART) in 2019 and whereas the world has made important progress for the reason that late 1990s, HIV AIDS nonetheless stays a significant international public well being situation that faces further challenges throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In her message, Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Winnie Byanyima shared that like all epidemics, it’s widening the inequalities that already existed like gender inequality, racial inequality and social and financial inequalities which is making us develop into a extra unequal world.

The theme this 12 months on World AIDS Day is “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact” which makes it essential to extend HIV consciousness and data, communicate out towards HIV stigma and name for an elevated response to maneuver towards ending the HIV epidemic because it contaminated 1,700,000 individuals in 2019 whereas 6,90,000 died of HIV-related causes final 12 months.

In her motivational speech on World AIDS Day 2020, Byanyima mentioned, “It is the strength within communities, inspired by a shared responsibility to each other, that has contributed in great part to our victories over HIV. Today, we need that strength more than ever to beat the colliding epidemics of HIV and Covid-19. Friends, in responding to Covid-19, the world cannot make the same mistakes it made in the fight against HIV, when millions in developing countries died waiting for treatment.”

Since greater than 12 million individuals are nonetheless ready to get on HIV therapy even immediately, Byanyima identified that international issues want international solidarity. “Our goal of ending the AIDS epidemic was already off track before Covid-19. We must put people first to get the AIDS response back on track. We must end the social injustices that put people at risk of contracting HIV. And we must fight for the right to health. There is no excuse for governments to not invest fully for universal access to health. Barriers such as up-front user fees that lock people out of health must come down,” she mentioned.

 

Byanyima concluded, “Women and girls must have their human rights fully respected, and the criminalization and marginalization of gay men, transgender people, sex workers and people who use drugs must stop. As we approach the end of 2020, the world is in a dangerous place and the months ahead will not be easy. Only global solidarity and shared responsibility will help us beat the coronavirus, end the AIDS epidemic and guarantee the right to health for all.”

Follow extra tales on Facebook and Twitter