UNAIDS Press Release: United Nations Secretary-General calls for a greater focus on ending inequalities to end AIDS
Forty years since the first AIDS cases were reported and just weeks before the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS, the United Nations Secretary-General has released a new report with recommendations and targets to get the world on track to end AIDS
NEW YORK, 30 April 2021—The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has warned that despite intensive action and progress made against HIV in some places and population groups, HIV epidemics continue to expand in others and issued a set of 10 key recommendations.* If followed by all countries, this will end the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. In a new report, Addressing inequalities and getting back on track to end AIDS by 2030, the United Nations Secretary-General urges the world to address the inequalities that are slowing progress.
“It is imperative to break out of an increasingly costly and unsustainable cycle of achieving some progress against HIV but ultimately not enough to bring about an end to the pandemic,” said Mr Guterres in the report. “Inequalities are the key reason why the 2020 global targets were missed. By ending inequalities, transformative outcomes can be achieved for people living with HIV, communities and countries.”
The global targets set out in the General Assembly’s 2016 Political Declaration on Ending AIDS were missed by a long way, allowing the AIDS pandemic to grow in many regions and countries. The staggering 1.7 million new HIV infections that occurred in 2019 are more than three times higher than the 2020 target of less than 500 000 new infections. In addition, the 690 000 AIDS-related deaths in 2019 far exceed the 2020 target of reducing deaths to fewer than 500 000 a year.
“Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is still within reach—many countries are showing that rapid progress against HIV is possible when evidence-informed strategies and human rights-based approaches are adopted,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “But it requires bold political leadership to challenge and address the social injustices and inequalities that continue to make certain groups of people and entire communities highly vulnerable to HIV infection.”
The report notes that COVID-19 has caused additional setbacks. The United Nations Secretary-General warned that COVID-19 is not an excuse for missing AIDS targets, but rather a stark warning to the countries that they can no longer afford to underinvest in pandemic preparedness and responses.
At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the many spill-over benefits of HIV investments in health and development. Community-led service delivery pioneered by the HIV response is helping to overcome the extraordinary impediments created by COVID-19.
The set of 10 recommendations to get the world back on track include: addressing inequalities and reaching all people living with or at risk of HIV infection to reduce the annual new HIV infections to under 370 000 and annual AIDS-related deaths to under 250 000 by 2025; prioritizing HIV prevention to ensure that 95% of people at risk of HIV infection have access to effective HIV prevention options by 2025; and eliminating new HIV infections among children.
The report underscores that addressing social and structural factors that perpetuate inequalities is key. It highlights, for example, how gender inequality, underpinned by harmful gender norms, restricts women’s use of HIV and sexual and reproductive health services by perpetuating gender-based violence and limiting decision-making power, including the ability of women and girls to refuse unwanted sex, negotiate safer sex and mitigate HIV risk. It also shows how vulnerable, marginalized and criminalized communities, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs, sex workers, transgender people, prisoners and migrants, also remain at higher risk of HIV infection than the general population because they are not receiving essential information and HIV treatment, prevention and care services. The United Nations Secretary-General describes how communities of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV are the backbone of the HIV response. Initiatives led by people living with HIV, women, key populations, young people and other affected communities have identified and addressed key inequalities and service gaps, advocated for the rights of their constituents and expanded the reach, scale and quality of health services. In the report, Mr Guterres applauds UNAIDS’ recently adopted Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026: End Inequalities, End AIDS.
“The lessons from the countries, cities and communities that successfully fast-tracked their HIV responses over the last five years are at the heart of the UNAIDS Global AIDS Strategy 2021–2026,” said Mr Guterres. “The global AIDS community and UNAIDS have used an inequalities lens to develop the strategy, with new targets that are ambitious, granular and tailored to reach the furthest behind first.”
The report comes 25 years after the creation of UNAIDS and describes how COVID-19 has exposed social inequalities and health system weaknesses. The United Nations Secretary-General says that the world should leverage the experience from responding to the AIDS pandemic to strengthen health systems across the world and improve pandemic preparedness. He also calls for enhanced global solidarity to close the HIV resource gap and increase annual HIV investments in low- and middle-income countries to US$ 29 billion by 2025.
For more information and the full report visit https://hlm2021aids.unaids.org/sg-report/
EDCTP 2023 Prizes: Call for nominations - deadline of 31 May 2023 at 17:00 CEST
Every two years, EDCTP awards four prestigious international prizes to recognise outstanding individuals and research teams from Africa and Europe who have made significant achievements in their research field. A call for nominations with a deadline of 31 May 2023 at 17:00 CEST is open for the following prizes, which will be awarded at the Eleventh EDCTP Forum:
The Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize, named after EDCTP’s first High
Representative, is awarded to senior scientists, policy-makers or advocates for
health and research, from anywhere in the world.
The prize consists of a recognition
trophy and a cash prize of €50,000.
“I was truly humbled to receive the 2020 Pascoal Mocumbi Prize which I attributed to the hard work of teams and collaborators across continents. Winning the most prestigious EDCTP award gave my teams and collaborators immense pleasure and pride that our work was valued. It also enhanced my teams’ international profile and respect, and boosted morale and motivation, upholding our African-led south-south and south-north R&D partnerships at the highest level. This has attracted more talent and international collaborators with a multiplier effect.” – Professor Sir Alimuddin Zumla (Zambia/UK), winner of the 2020 Dr Pascoal Mocumbi prize
Watch the prize video: https://youtu.be/MI-TbynM9Po
Outstanding Female Scientist Prize
The Outstanding Female Scientist Prize
is awarded to world-leading female scientists in sub-Saharan Africa working on
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases.
The prize consists of a recognition trophy and a cash
prize of €20,000.
“Winning this prestigious prize drew the attention of the international
community and local organizations to my research and capacity-building effort.
It attracted media attention in Ghana. The task forces and committees I served
on made it a point to highlight the award and in recent times I have received
several requests to serve on or chair a number of boards and committees. I am
indeed grateful to EDCTP for the award and the exposure it has given me and to
my colleagues who saw the potential in me and nominated me for the prize. I
sure do feel like a star.” – Professor Margaret Gyapong, winner of the EDCTP
2020 Outstanding Female Scientist Prize
Watch the prize video: https://youtu.be/zcBCDrQGOaM
The Scientific Leadership Prize is awarded to excellent world-class scientists in sub-Saharan Africa up to 50 years of age working on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases.
The
prize consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of €10,000.
“It was a real honour to be awarded the EDCTP Scientific Leadership Prize
for 2020. The prize was a recognition of the hard work and dedication of each
of the members of our research group and their contributions. The prize
provided me with a unique opportunity to support the ongoing work of an
emerging clinician scientist within our group who is investigating the
pathogenesis of severe HIV-associated TB. I strongly encourage eligible
colleagues to consider applying for this award in 2023.” – Prof. Graeme
Meintjes, winner of the EDCTP 2020 Scientific Leadership Prize
Watch the prize video: https://youtu.be/UfuYgKgM0xk
Outstanding Research Team Prize
The Outstanding Research Team Prize is awarded to outstanding research teams in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe working on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases.
The prize consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of €50,000.
“The prize was awarded to a multinational consortium of which the members have been working together for more than 10 years. It gave recognition not only to the lead institution or investigator, but to all staff members from all participating African and European partners. Such recognition is not given often enough but is very important to motivate and acknowledge the essential and high-level work performed by staff of all levels at each site.”- Prof. Gerhard Walzl, on behalf of the AE-TBC Consortium (winners of the 2020 Outstanding Research Team Prize)
Watch the prize video: https://youtu.be/Acm8GW4sw8M
Keystone Symposia - EPANEL - HELMINTHS: NEW INSIGHTS FROM IMMUNITY TO GLOBAL HEALTH
Join Dr. William Horsnell and panelists from prestigious institutions across the globe in our live virtual event.
Panelists include Dr Justin Komguep Nono (CDF Fellow) based at UCT.
Panelists will discuss these questions and more:
JULY 30, 2019
2:00 – 3:30PM ET (US Eastern)
1:00 – 2:30PM CT (US Central)
http://bit.ly/VKShelminths
#VKShelminths
Webinar: EDCTP-AIGHD Special Session at the Virtual Global Forum on TB Vaccines: Launch of a Global Roadmap
The Global TB Vaccine R&D Roadmap was commissioned by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) to the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) to identify priorities to coordinate global action to accelerate the development and implementation of new TB vaccines. The Roadmap has been developed through an iterative global consultative process designed to identify the key barriers to TB vaccine R&D and implementation, and potential ways in which they might be overcome. It is intended to provide a shared set of priorities to guide the activities of all stakeholders with an interest in TB vaccine development and use.AIGHD and EDCTP are pleased to invite the global TB vaccine community and interested stakeholders to attend the official launch of the Roadmap. The session opens with an introduction to the Roadmap, followed by an overview of current challenges and opportunities for TB vaccine R&D, and the perspective from a community representative. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with a diverse group of stakeholders, each sharing their comments on the Roadmap, their views on how they are planning to use it, and how they consider it can guide the future development of TB vaccines.
When: 20 April 2021, 18:00-19:30 CEST
Where: Virtual (Zoom)
REGISTER NOW: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pbpKgGpRR6ejZN1B-i0bxQ