2024 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update

Context:

Recently, the 2024 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update, titled “The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads,” presented a critical overview of the current state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the global response to it. This update underscores the pressing need for renewed efforts and strategies to combat the epidemic effectively.

Relevance:

GS II: International Relations

Dimensions of the Article:

1. HIV/AIDS
2. Key Highlights of the Reports on HIV/AIDS
3. Key Suggestions from the Report
4. Role of UNAIDS

HIV/AIDS:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

HIV’s Impact:

• HIV attacks the body’s immune system, increasing vulnerability to other infections and diseases.

Progression to AIDS:

• If HIV is not treated, it can progress to AIDS.

Transmission:

• Sexually transmitted infection (STI).
• Spread by contact with infected blood, illicit injection drug use, or needle sharing.
• Can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.

Treatment:

• No effective cure currently exists; HIV is a lifelong condition.
• Proper medical care, specifically Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), can control HIV.
• Individuals with effective HIV treatment can lead long, healthy lives and protect their partners.

Key Highlights of the Reports on HIV/AIDS

Global Progress:

• Reduction in New Infections: There has been a 39% reduction in new HIV infections globally since 2010, with sub-Saharan Africa achieving a 56% decline.
• Current Statistics: Fewer people acquired HIV in 2023 compared to any point since the late 1980s. Almost 31 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• Decrease in AIDS-Related Deaths: AIDS-related deaths have dropped to their lowest level since 2004 due to increased access to ART.

Regional Disparities:

• Sub-Saharan Africa: Significant progress has been made in reducing HIV infections.
• Other Regions: Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa have seen rising new HIV infections.
• New Infections: For the first time, more new HIV infections occurred outside sub-Saharan Africa than within it.

Key Populations:

• High Risk Groups: Sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people, and people in prisons continue to face high risks of HIV infection due to inadequate prevention programs and persistent stigma.

Challenges:

• Community-Led Interventions: These are critical but often underfunded and unrecognized.
• Prevention Efforts: There are notable deficiencies in access to services like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and harm reduction for people who inject drugs.
• ART Access: About 9.3 million people living with HIV are not receiving ART, with children and adolescents particularly affected.

Key Suggestions from the Report

Expansion of HIV Prevention Services:

• Key Populations: Increase access to prevention services for key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people, and people in prisons.
• Condom Programs: Reinstate and fund condom programs to promote safe sex, especially in regions where use has declined.

Medication and Treatment Goals:

• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Scale up the availability and use of PrEP, aiming to reach 21.2 million users by 2025.
• ART Coverage: Ensure that 95% of people living with HIV are on ART by 2025, up from the current 77%.
• Childhood HIV Treatment: Improve diagnosis and treatment for children with HIV, aiming for a higher percentage of children receiving ART compared to the current 48%.

Integration and Legal Framework:

• Integrated Services: Integrate HIV services with broader health services to address comorbidities like tuberculosis, hepatitis, and non-communicable diseases.
• Harmful Laws: Remove laws that criminalise HIV transmission, exposure, and non-disclosure, as well as those targeting key populations.
• Stigma Reduction: Implement programs to reduce stigma and discrimination in health care and community settings, and ensure legal protection for people living with HIV and key populations.

Community and Funding:

• Community-Led Organizations: Strengthen the role of community-led organizations, aiming for them to deliver 30% of testing and treatment services and 80% of prevention services for high-risk populations.
• Funding Needs: Address the shortfall in funding for HIV programs, with an estimated additional USD 9.5 billion needed by 2025. Explore new funding sources and mechanisms to sustain the HIV response, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Role of UNAIDS

• Model for Reform: UNAIDS is a model for United Nations reform and is the only cosponsored Joint Programme in the UN system.
• Expertise and Representation: It leverages the expertise of 11 UN system Cosponsors and includes civil society representation on its governing body.
• Global Effort: UNAIDS leads the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.

-Source: Indian Express