Western Central Europe

GENEVA, 29 April 2021—The government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) has informed UNAIDS that funding for UNAIDS for 2021 is confirmed at GBP 2.5 million, compared to the GBP 15 million received by UNAIDS from the UK for 2020.

This cut of GBP 12.5 million (or more than 80%) is significant. It affects the provision of live-saving HIV prevention and treatment services around the world. It affects the empowerment of young women and adolescent girls and their access to sexual and reproductive health and rights across the world, and Africa in particular. It impacts on support to upholding the human rights of some of the most marginalized people, including lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and intersex people in low- and middle-income countries. It reduces global health security.

UNAIDS recognizes the challenging situation facing many governments, yet deeply regrets this decision of our longstanding partner and advocate. We are assessing the full scope and impact of the cut and are actively formulating mitigation strategies.

The UK government has said the decision does not reflect a diminished commitment to UNAIDS or the HIV response. UNAIDS will continue working with the UK and partners to explore ways to ensure continuity and predictability of funding to sustain the hard-won gains in the fight against HIV and to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The UK has been a leader in the fight against AIDS. It has called for the G7 to be centred on beating pandemics and is rallying the world for girls’ education and empowerment. UNAIDS is determined to deliver breakthroughs on those together with the UK. We hope that the UK, which has rated UNAIDS ‘A’ for delivery, will decide to supplement its current allocation for 2021.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GENEVA, 18 December 2020— UNAIDS strongly welcomes the announcement by Sweden at the 47^th meeting of UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board to renew its annual funding commitment to UNAIDS of SEK300 million in core funding for 2021, equivalent to 36 million USD, demonstrating the country’s continued leadership in the global AIDS response. In making the announcement, Sweden underscored UNAIDS role in working for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

UNAIDS also welcomes Germany’s announcement, at the same meeting, of its decision to invest an additional €5 million in UNAIDS complementary responses to the HIV and COVID-19 epidemics next year. This builds on the country’s contribution of €20 million to UNAIDS’ HIV and COVID-19 response in June this year and is on top of Germany`s annual contribution to UNAIDS of €5 million. In making the announcement, Germany recognized UNAIDS’ outstanding work in responding to the colliding epidemics of HIV and COVID-19 and called on other donors to consider increasing their contributions.

“I want to thank Sweden and Germany for their strong leadership in the AIDS response as well as their confidence in and support for UNAIDS,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. “These contributions will allow UNAIDS to maintain our response to the HIV epidemic, while mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups of people and mobilizing the AIDS response, its infrastructure and expertise against COVID-19.”

GENEVA, 14 August 2020—UNAIDS is deeply concerned by reports of the targeting and arrest of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights activists as they peacefully exercise their rights to freedom of expression and association, as well as reports of discrimination, repression, and scapegoating of LGBTI people.

UNAIDS has been made aware that on August 7 a protest against the detention of LGBTI activist, Margot Szutowicz, currently being held for two months of pre-trial detention, resulted in reports of police violence and over 50 arrests. This followed recent arrests of activists for placing rainbow flags on public monuments, ostensibly carried out under Article 196 of Poland’s criminal code, which calls for up to two years in prison for anyone who “offends the religious feelings of others by publicly insulting a religious object or place of worship.”

International and European human rights bodies have affirmed the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. They have also affirmed the fundamental right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The 2016 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Political Declaration on Ending AIDS recognizes that discrimination, particularly discriminatory and abusive use of law enforcement powers, create significant barriers to people’s health and well-being, including their access to HIV prevention, treatment and care services, barriers that governments have committed to removing. Stigma and discrimination have been shown to increase violence, abuse and harassment against LGBTI people and to cause significant harm to their physical and mental health and well-being, their inclusion in society and their ability to access work, education and essential services.

The actions in Poland limit freedom of speech and, when combined with discriminatory application that targets human rights defenders, undermine equality, the rule of law and people’s access to essential services. In the context of closing civic space for advocacy to end discrimination in areas such as LGBTI rights, sexual and reproductive health and gender equality, freedom of speech protections are more vital than ever.

UNAIDS is concerned by the ongoing and intensifying persecution of LGBTI people in Poland, including the encouragement of so-called “LGBT ideology-free zones” throughout the country over the last year and up to recent mounting crackdowns on human rights defenders exercising their fundamental human rights to advocate for an end to discrimination.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GENEVA, 8 May 2020—Both international and European human rights bodies have affirmed the right of people to legally change their gender and name to match their gender identity, recognizing that the right is fundamental to the enjoyment of many other rights. UNAIDS is therefore concerned that the Government of Hungary is proposing to remove the right of the people of Hungary to legally change their gender on legal documents.

The 2016 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Political Declaration on Ending AIDS recognizes that such legislative discrimination can create barriers to people’s health and well-being, barriers that governments have committed to removing. The proposed change to the Hungarian Registry Act would replace the term “sex/gender” with the term “birth sex”, defined as “biological sex based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes”, and will not allow changes to “birth sex” once recorded. A step such as this has the potential to cause serious harm.

UNAIDS is also concerned that the proposed changes are being made using emergency powers at a time where communities are unable to effectively protest against the proposed legislation or participate in public discussions on it, thus circumventing proper democratic processes and the right to political participation. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus should be on removing barriers to health care, not building them.

“All countries have an obligation to empower people to be recognized for who they are, without discrimination or stigma. I encourage all countries to continue to ensure that people are able to legally change their gender and name,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director.

Stigma and discrimination, including discriminatory laws, against transgender people has been shown to increase violence, abuse and harassment against transgender people and to cause significant harm to their physical and mental health and well-being, their inclusion in society and their ability to access work and education. Transgender people are 12 times more at risk of acquiring HIV than other people and are being left behind in their access to HIV testing, treatment and care services. Evidence shows that where people are able to legally change their gender and name, they experience less discrimination, violence and stigma and have greater inclusion in society.

UNAIDS recommends that countries provide for legal gender recognition, with clear processes and requirements that are in line with international human rights obligations.

“This proposed step from the government traumatizes the transgender, gender diverse and intersex community. It puts people at risk of stigma, discrimination, abuse, harassment and violence for who they are,” said Barnabás Hidasi, of the Transvanilla Transgender Association.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GENEVA, 2 April 2020—UNAIDS warmly welcomes the decision made by the Portuguese Government to grant temporary residency rights to all immigrants and asylum seekers who applied for residency in the country before 18 March 2020, when the state of emergency for COVID-19 was announced. These rights will give immigrants and asylum seekers access to social and health benefits, including access to the national health service, bank accounts and work and rental contracts, until at least 1 July 2020.

“UNAIDS is urging all countries to adopt a human rights-based approach in responding to COVID-19 that puts people at the centre and respects the rights and dignity of all,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Portugal has demonstrated leadership and compassion by prioritizing these measures to protect the most vulnerable when responding to COVID-19.”

Migrants face the same health threats to COVID-19 as host populations and must be included to ensure an effective response that addresses both the health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. Migrants and other key and vulnerable populations are often unable to access health and social services owing to fear of deportation, financial costs, legal constraints, language barriers, exclusion and fear of stigma and discrimination. Removing the barriers that prevent people from seeking medical and social care will improve broader public health outcomes, uphold the human rights of the most vulnerable and create a stronger, more effective and more equitable response to COVID-19.

Portugal has pioneered a human rights-based response to HIV since the outset of the epidemic, creating enabling legal environments, enacting progressive drug policies and making HIV treatment free for all, regardless of a person’s migration status. Portugal continues to lead today, driving community-based care models and promoting better integration of health-care services. 

To help guide governments, communities and other stakeholders in planning and implementing measures to contain COVID-19, UNAIDS has produced a new guidance document that draws on key lessons from the response to the HIV epidemic, Rights in the time of COVID-19: lessons from HIV for an effective, community-led response.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

GENEVA, 17 March 2020—UNAIDS warmly welcomes the decision made to make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) available to everyone who needs it in England. Activists and advocates have been campaigning for a number of years to make the life-saving preventative HIV medicine available to people at higher risk of HIV and on 15 March the government announced that PrEP will be made available across the country as part of the government’s efforts to end HIV transmission by 2030.

“This is absolutely the right thing to do,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “PrEP has been evaluated across different age groups among gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender women, heterosexual men and women and people who inject drugs. In each of these contexts, the data are clear: PrEP prevents HIV and must be made available to all who need it.”

From 2017, PrEP was available in England as part of the Impact trial, which enrolled around 20 000 participants. The government has committed £16 million from 2020 to 2021 for the roll-out of PrEP through the National Health Service, starting in April 2020.

The availability of PrEP through the Impact trial is believed to have contributed to the fall in new HIV infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men across England. New infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men are estimated to have fallen by 71% from their peak in 2012. Efforts are being put in place to improve the availability of PrEP, as part of a comprehensive sexual health service, to other groups that could benefit.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has accelerated its response to HIV and has already achieved the 90–90–90 targets. Of the estimated 103 800 people living with HIV in the United Kingdom in 2018, 93% had been diagnosed with the virus, of whom 97% were accessing treatment, and, of the people on treatment, 97% had undetectable viral loads, meaning they cannot transmit the virus.

UNAIDS commends the United Kingdom’s decision and will continue to support all efforts across the country to end AIDS by 2030.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

It was a very different morning bus ride for UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima as she boarded the hepatitis bus in Oslo, Norway, to hear more about the work of ProLAR, an organization that supports people who use drugs. ProLAR provides a range of services, including opioid substitution therapy and testing for HIV and hepatitis C. It is also active in calling for changes in drug policy and promotes evidence-informed policy that involves the affected communities.

“We welcome people who use drugs into a warm, safe space. Here we can talk, get to know each other then take the necessary tests,” explained Ronny Bjørnestad, Managing Director of ProLAR.

According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, around 9000 people who inject drugs lived in Norway in 2019, many in the two largest cities, Oslo and Bergen. In 2015, the Norwegian Government presented a new action plan addressing substance use and addictions that prioritizes prevention, early intervention, treatment and aftercare for people who use drugs. In 2018 the European Centres for Disease Control reported that there were only six new diagnosis of HIV among people who inject drugs in Norway.

Ms Byanyima also visited Sjekkpunkt, a free and anonymous testing service in Oslo for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections that caters for gay men and other men who have sex with men. Rolf Martin Angeltvedt, Director of Helseutvalget, said that, “Checkpoint does not say “no” to anyone who wants to come in to talk and take a test. We offer free, anonymous and rapid testing.”

New HIV infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men have been declining steadily in Norway in recent years. In Norway the most commonly reported mode of HIV transmission in 2018 was heterosexual transmission.

Following the visit to Sjekkpunkt, Ms Byanyima met with representatives of civil society organizations working in Norway on issues concerning people living with and affected by HIV. The dialogues centred around sex work, chemsex, ageing, youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and and intersex people and migration. In Norway, civil society groups play a critical role in addressing the AIDS epidemic by supporting prevention, treatment and care efforts.

“The leadership of networks and peer-led organizations working to support people living with, and affected by, HIV is instrumental. More than ever, the role of civil society is critical to removing barriers to health, dignity and the enjoyment of human rights. I encourage you to build bridges with civil society organization in other regions of the world. We must work together to reverse the disturbing trend of shrinking space and lack of funding for civil society or we will fail to reach the target of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” said Ms Byanyima.

Gunilla Carlsson, the UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management and Governance, commemorated World AIDS Day in Brussels, Belgium, celebrating the power of communities with civil society and Barbara Trachte, the Secretary of State of the Brussels-Capital Region.

Ms Carlsson presented some of the key messages from Power to the people, UNAIDS’ new report, which shows that when people have the power to choose, to know, to thrive, to demand and to work together, lives are saved, injustices are prevented and dignity is restored.

“The AIDS response shows that when communities are empowered and have agency, change happens. Now more than ever we need a fully funded community-led response,” said Ms Carlsson.

She thanked the Regional Government of Brussels and the Federal Government of Belgium for its support for people living with HIV and the organizations working on HIV and related sexual and reproductive health and rights. For many years, Belgium has invested energy and resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and communities affected by HIV around the world, with a strong focus on human rights, gender equality, key populations, strengthening health systems and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

"Today, on 1 December, it is important to reinforce that undetectable = untransmittable in order to change society’s view of people living with HIV,” said Thierry Martin, Director of Plateforme Prévention Sida.

During her visit to Belgium, Ms Carlsson also met with the Minister-President of Flanders, Jan Jambon, and signed a new two-year partnership agreement with UNAIDS. Flanders has been a valued and prominent partner since the founding of UNAIDS and has invested energy and resources to meet the needs of communities affected by HIV, with a focus on vulnerable populations and girls in southern Africa.

Mr Jambon expressed confidence in renewing the long-term partnership agreement with UNAIDS. “Since its inception, UNAIDS has been working towards a multisectoral, rights-based and people-centred approach that addresses the determinants of health and well-being for the AIDS response, especially the most vulnerable populations, including the LGBTQI+ communities, and this is now more relevant than ever,” he said.

Mr Jambon also welcomed the reforms within UNAIDS to reinforce a positive workplace culture. “I am confident that with the new policies in place and the new leadership, this will enable staff to deliver at their best and maximize their collective results,” he said.

Ms Carlsson also attended a panel discussion with members of the parliament and representatives of civil society and the United Nations, where she provided an update on the status of the HIV epidemic and response, highlighting key actions for support by the European Parliament and European Union. She emphasized the important role that parliamentarians play in the global response to HIV.

When Greg Owen started hearing about a medicine taken daily that could keep people from contracting HIV, he didn’t believe it. The British man, from London, asked around and his friends told him that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was only available in the United States of America or through a clinical trial, the PROUD study, in England.

“I finally managed to get a hold of some via a friend in early August 2015,” he recounted. “The next day, I went for an HIV test and it came back positive.” In shock, he felt like the system had failed him.

“It was too late for me, so out of necessity and anger we decided we had to do something,” Mr Owen said. His friend Alex Craddock was on PrEP. He needed to keep taking the medicine, which he obtained from the United States, so they both set out to help themselves and their friends.

They gathered as much information on PrEP as they could and on 19 October 2015 the website iwantPrEPnow went live.

With a small budget and limited time, but with a lot of publicity, iwantPrEPnow attracted more and more people. Traffic exploded.

“We had no master plan, but clearly there was a need for advice and access to the medicine within the community,” Mr Owen said.

Through a PrEP trial in England, more than 10 000 people have access to PrEP. In Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, PrEP is available through National Health Service (NHS) sexual health clinics. Countless others have obtained PrEP by buying it online.

Mr Owen, a club promoter turned full-time activism coordinator, credits 30 years of AIDS activism for improving HIV awareness and bringing new medicines to the forefront.

“PrEP has been a game-changer because it’s like the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle that has been missing,” he said. “We had already stepped up testing regularly, encouraged increased condom use and started people on treatment as soon as possible. All of these are part of our combination prevention response needed to fight the fire.”

Will Nutland, co-founder of  Prepster, a group advocating for PrEP to be integrated within NHS England, considers the medicine as one of the most effective and cost-effective HIV prevention tools ever.

“No other HIV prevention technology has had the impact on HIV diagnosis in a place like London,” Mr Nutland said.

Half of new HIV infections in the United Kingdom have been shouldered by gay men and other men who have sex with men. In the past two years, new HIV infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men have decreased more than 30% across the country, according to HIV data by Public Health England. And in London, there has been a 44% drop.

Prepster and iwantPrEPnow launched within a week of each other. The founders didn’t know each other, so when they realized the crossover between them, they met and now collaborate on most projects.

For Mr Owen, PrEP has also changed the narrative. “We now have whole generations talking about sex in a guilt-free way,” he explained. He believes that people feel more liberated after decades of shame, death and disease linked to sex without condoms.

Among HIV advocates, the sector feels reinvigorated. Mr Owen feels proud being part of this supportive, loving and vibrant community. He says their common goal has brought lots of different players together.

“PrEP needs to be made available to all and not just at sexual health clinics,” he said, echoing Mr Nutland.

Their ongoing objective involves further increasing awareness of and access to PrEP for everyone who could benefit, particularly women, transgender people and communities of colour.

“A community means no one is left behind,” Mr Owen said. “No one gets turned out, that’s a real community.”