This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On the eve of an international AIDS conference in Mexico, a joint U.N. program on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, issued a report highlighting the need for increased political will to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
According to the report, 1.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2018, and 770,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses. Despite progress in increasing access to anti-retroviral treatment, with over 23 million people receiving the life-saving medication, 15 million are still not receiving it.
UNAIDS Acting Executive Director Gunilla Carlsson noted that key populations, including sex workers, drug users, men having sex with men, transgenders, and prisoners, account for more than half of all new HIV infections, with up to 54% of new infections being spread by these groups.
Carlsson emphasized that these key populations suffer from stigma and discrimination, which hinders their access to treatment and care. She warned that if these issues are not addressed, the goal of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic will remain elusive.
The report also highlighted a concerning trend in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where new infections have risen by 29% since 2010, and in the Middle-East and North Africa, where HIV infections have risen by 10% during the same period.
Carlsson stressed that adequate funding is crucial to bring an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, citing a shortfall of nearly $1 billion in available resources and a gap of over $7 billion in the estimated $26.2 billion needed by 2020.
