AIDS Will Not Be Cured by 2030, Says New UNAIDS Report | AIDS 2024
Inequalities throughout the world in treatment and prevention of HIV are not being addressed, with infection rates rising in the Middle East and north Africa, Eastern Europe and central Asia and Latin America.
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The world is currently not on trend to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, or reduce annual HIV infections to below 370,000 by 2025, according to the latest report from the Joint United Nations Programme (UNAIDS) on HIV/AIDS, released today. It was presented as part of International AIDS Conference being held in Munich, Germany.
Of the 39.9 million people living with HIV globally, 9.3 million are still not receiving life-saving treatment and as a result, one person dies from AIDS every minute.
The report, entitled The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads, explains that this is because there are still inequalities not being addressed.
“The new data UNAIDS released earlier today shows that success or failure will be determined by the actions taken this year,” UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, said in a news release. “We are calling on leaders to take three critical steps: Resource the response; get long-acting treatment and prevention options to all low- and middle-income countries; and break down the discrimination and stigma that are pushing the most marginalized people away from healthcare. We know the path that ends AIDS, but we have no time to wait."
Although HIV rates have fallen globally by 39% since 2010, infection rates are rising in the Middle East and north Africa, Eastern Europe and central Asia and Latin America. Due to stigma and a lack of resources, marginalized community members such as sex workers, men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs account for a 55% increase in cases. In 2010, these groups accounted for 45% increase in cases.
A survey of 42 countries revealed that almost half of people with HIV report some sort of discrimination. This extends into healthcare settings where a separate study of 25 countries found that almost a quarter of people with HIV experienced stigma while seeking non-HIV related care.
Gender inequality is another major player, particularly in parts of eastern, southern and western Africa where women and girls account for 62% of all new infections.
The UNAIDS calculated that 20% of HIV resources should be used for HIV prevention, but only 2.6% of global HIV spending in 2023 went towards interventions. A reason for this could be ongoing debt, especially in low to middle income countries.
Funding and treatment efforts should be focused on Asia and the Pacific where case numbers are anticipated to double by 2050.
“Countries are making enormous progress to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, however there have been many challenges that could slow our efforts,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Former Scientific Advisor to the U.S. President said in the news release. “We must do everything we can to be continually vocal and proactive. Failure is not an option here. In fact, it is unthinkable.”
The full USNAIDS report is available here.
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