The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is clear that the world needs to intensify efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, stated this at the special session of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board at the agency’s headquarters at Geneva on Wednesday.
In his speech posted on its website, he said it was important to end AIDS as public health threat by 2030, because of the disruption COVID-19 pandemic has caused AIDS services.
Ghebreyesus, however, said the world should remember that of the 700 thousand deaths from HIV last year, one third were due to co-infection with Tuberculosis (TB).
World TB Day is globally observed on March 24 each year to create awareness about TB and efforts to eliminate the disease.
“These deaths are entirely preventable.
“We have the guidelines and tools, and now we have a new strategy that will set the tone towards eliminating these new infections and reducing the burden of AIDS.
“This strategy provides an important multisectoral framework to accelerate progress towards our 2030 targets.
“I welcome the strategy’s focus on intersecting inequalities to address the remaining challenges of ending AIDS,’’ he said.
The director general, however, said the strategy described the interventions that required urgent prioritisation over the coming five years and the communities where efforts should be targeted.
“It included key populations, women and girls, and the millions of people living with HIV who are still unaware of their HIV status.
“It outlines the importance of ensuring that HIV prevention efforts reach all people from key population groups including men who have sex with men.
“Also, transgender people, people who inject drugs and sex workers and their clients – all of whom are at higher risk of exposure to HIV than other groups.
“And it highlights the need to focus on other priority populations including adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa, and children and adolescents who still lack opportunities to access the dedicated services they need.’’
According to him, the strategy inspires an ambitious vision for ending gender inequalities and realising human rights.
“It calls for better data to identify the gaps we are facing, and stronger links between community-led responses and primary health care needed to address them.
“The Global AIDS Strategy, and its 2025 targets, will help align the work and strategies of co-sponsors and partners. For example, WHO plans to develop a global health sector strategy on HIV for 2022 to 2030.
“Finally as we commemorate 25 years of the UNAIDS Joint Programme we recognise that it is the member states, communities and partners that help ensure we continue to leverage the capacities and expertise from across our agencies in support of HIV goals.’’ NAN
