London The global response to AIDS is “at risk” due to an unprecedented human rights backlash that stigmatizes groups most at risk of HIV infection, the head of the United Nations program has warned Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS, said countries with laws against LGBTQ people, or criminalizing sex work or personal drug use, were largely the ones seeing a rise in new infections. or stable. Stigma, discrimination, and a lack of comprehensive sex education are also problems, she said. “This anti-human rights, anti-democratic, anti-gender equality backlash has ruined our work,” she told Reuters in an interview in London ahead of a new report from the organization she directs. I’m at risk.” UNAIDS aims to end the disease as a public health threat by 2030, which Byanyima says is still achievable, with some countries, especially in Africa, on track or close to achieving their goals. But in other regions such as Eastern Europe and North Africa, the number of infections is increasing.
“We say it is achievable. This is not the same as saying the goal will be achieved,” she said. Worldwide, 39 million people will be living with AIDS in 2022, including 1.3 million newly infected. Nearly 30 million of them are on treatment, but there were still 630,000 deaths from AIDS-related illnesses last year, according to UNAIDS data. The new report calls for the work of community organizations to be recognized and funded to help tackle stigma and wider impacts, titled ‘Let communities lead’.
Byanyima said there are also other challenges, such as financing and “huge battles” with pharmaceutical companies to ensure new products can be made available in low-income countries at affordable prices.