week #4 of the learning curve is coming right at you but first of all, a great and healthy Tuesday for everybody.
This week in the hub we discussed a highly interesting Report of the UNAIDS called: Global commitments, local actions. The report shows that countries with progressive laws and policies and strong and inclusive health systems have had the best outcomes against HIV. In those countries, people living with and affected by HIV are more likely to have access to effective HIV services, including HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (medicine to prevent HIV), harm reduction, multimonth supplies of HIV treatment and consistent, quality follow-up and care.
OHHH! HUB
Global commitments, local action – UNAIDS Report
UNAIDS 2021
Four decades after the first cases of AIDS were reported, new data from UNAIDS show that dozens of countries achieved or exceed the 2020 targets set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2016—evidence that thetargets were not just aspirational but achievable.
Five years later, dozens of countries across a range of epidemic settings and economic classifications have reached or exceeded many of those targets. These countries have shown that a pandemic that seemed almost unassailable 20 years ago can be brought under control. However, other countries and entire regions are off-track.
Covid however, shifted paradigms and impose new conditions that helped shape new targets for 2025, and it has developed a global strategy for achieving them. High performing countries have provided paths for others to follow. Their HIV responses share vital features:
Ohhh! seems to be, once again, one step ahead hence our goals and activities that has been centered around those goals for years now and we only keep moving forward, creating the HUB, strengthening our presence and actions with communities over the globe and establishing new partners with different sectors.
Condom use has averted an estimated 117 million HIV infections globally since the beginning of the pandemic. However, this is not nearly enough, 1.5 million people who newly acquired HIV in 2020 were triple the 2020 target of fewer than 500 000 new infections. The people being left behind are preponderantly those subjected to gender inequalities, ostracization and criminalization. Key-population are still beings systematically overlooked by actions, policies and politic actors: less than half of transgender women stated that they were able to access at least two HIV prevention services. The same is true for female sex workers in 16 of 30 reporting countries, for gay men and other men who have sex with men in 26 of 38 reporting countries, and for men who inject drugs in 10 of 14 reporting countries. That is why our actions need to Always take into consideration how those specific populations react to interventions and/or need them.
Young women in sub-Saharan Africa also continue to be left behind. Six out of seven new HIV infections among adolescents aged 15–19 years in theregion are among girls. AIDS-related illnesses remain the leading cause of death among women aged 15–49 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The world can not afford to underinvest in pandemic preparedness and responses,” said Ms Byanyima. “I strongly urge the United Nations General Assembly to seize the moment and commit to taking the actions needed to end AIDS.”
Citation: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Global commitments, local action – UNAIDS Report - After 40 years of AIDS, charting a course to end the pandemic (2021). UNAIDS/JC3027E
