Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, UNAIDS has released a crucial report calling on leaders to integrate human rights into their AIDS strategy.
Despite notable progress, the UN agency warned that the world is not yet on track to eradicate AIDS as a public health threat. Among the 39.9 million people living with HIV, nearly 9.3 million still do not have access to life-saving treatment. Last year, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.3 million new infections were reported worldwide. In 28 countries, the number of new infections continues to rise.
UNAIDS stresses that it is imperative that all people who need treatment can access it without fear. Obstacles to this access, linked to factors such as gender-based violence, discrimination or lack of education for girls, remain major challenges. When individuals face risks because of their identity, sexual orientation or community affiliation, access to health services, essential in the fight against HIV, becomes a fight for survival.
To end the AIDS pandemic, it is imperative that the rights of all are protected. Protecting the human rights of every individual is not only a moral imperative, but also a necessity to ensure that the health of all is preserved and that the end of AIDS is a reality.
Science continues to innovate in the fight against AIDS, with significant advances such as long-acting drugs, which only require a few injections per year. These treatments could represent a major turning point in the management of HIV, but their success will depend on a human rights-based approach. It is crucial that technology is shared equitably to lower prices and enable local production in all regions of the world, especially in low-income countries.
Defeat AIDS by all means
The new UNAIDS report brings together the latest research, case studies and recommendations to guide the world towards ending AIDS. It includes testimonies and essays from influential world leaders, such as Elton John, Archbishop of Cape Town Thabo Makgoba, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Volker Türk (UN High Commissioner for Human Rights), and Adeeba Kamarulzaman, the former president of the International AIDS Society. These contributions call for a rights-based approach to ending the epidemic.
The report offers a clear road map, asserting that the key to ending AIDS lies in protecting human rights. This approach is essential to ensure access to health treatments and services for all people, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location.
In 1986, there was no treatment for HIV, and people living with the virus had no way of living long, healthy lives. Today, thanks to medical advances, an HIV-positive woman who takes antiretroviral treatment can not only live a long and healthy life, but also give birth to a healthy child, without transmitting the virus during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
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