This year’s United Nations annual debate over how best to battle HIV and AIDS heard that while progress had been made, it remains “uneven and fragile” with many hurdles still to come.
“The world is making good progress towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Tuesday, citing the need for more accessible HIV testing, treatment, and antiretroviral therapy.
“But progress is uneven and fragile,” he added. “On all continents, key populations at higher risk of infection continue to be left further and further behind.”
Where prevalence is high, young women remain vulnerable; and youth need to learn how to protect themselves.
“Prevention is the key to breaking the cycle of HIV transmission,” he declared, pointing to the Prevention 2020 Road Map, which focuses explicitly on adolescent girls, young women and key populations at risk.
And the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for an integrated approach in ending HIV, he added.
“Success will require us to strengthen links across these areas and build resilient and sustainable systems for health, underpinned by principles of human rights and equity,” said Mr. Guterres.
The UN chief pointed to September High-Level Meetings of the General Assembly on Tuberculosis (TB) and Non-Communicable Diseases as key opportunities to “inform a new way of thinking and working that moves beyond the disease-specific silos of yesterday.”
Looking ahead he also touted the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Care as an occasion to build coherence across the global health landscape on financing, programming and accountability.
“At this pivotal moment, we must renew our focus and shared commitment to a world free of AIDS. The pandemic is not over, but it can be,” he continued.
“Let us move forward in a bold new spirit of partnership to overcome the cycle of HIV transmission and deliver health and well-being for all,” concluded the UN chief.
Healthcare is crucial to sustainable development, which is why it has its own goal: SDG 3.
This will be on the General Assembly’s agenda, in 2019. And it could accelerate our drive, to eradicate AIDS, once and for all,” he said.
“Let’s speak up louder – in memory of those who have died, and in support of those who are living, with HIV and AIDS, today,” concluded the Assembly president.
Original source: UN News
Published on 12 June 2018
