Press Release

GENEVA, 28 June 2023—The 52nd meeting of UNAIDS’ Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) concluded today in Geneva, Switzerland with Board members showing strong support to fully fund the Joint Programme and a commitment to overcome the barriers to ending AIDS by 2030.

In her opening remarks to the meeting, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, described the AIDS response as being under severe strain with the multiple challenges caused by what has been termed ‘polycrisis’. She revealed that in 2021, debt repayments for the world’s poorest countries reached 171% of all spending on healthcare, education and social protection combined—choking countries’ capacities to respond to HIV.

She also highlighted major challenges across a broad spectrum of human rights issues worldwide including women’s rights and gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, the human rights of LGBTQI people, civil society’s freedom of association and more.

“Human rights challenges affect our ability to connect people to health services to control AIDS and all pandemics,” said Ms Byanyima. “We must halt and reverse these harmful trends. Doing so requires longer-term funding as such efforts do succeed over time and funding is critical to stay ahead of the curve.”

She called for global solidarity and a renewed commitment from all partners to get the job of ending AIDS done, for everyone, everywhere. “The work we do together to end AIDS is not only crucial to overcoming pandemics broadly. The global AIDS response is the pathway to advancing progress on other Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s),” she said.

She noted that just 12% of the SDG’s are on track and that one of the only examples of progress is towards achieving SDG 3 – To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages – and specifically the progress made towards SDG 3.3, which includes ending AIDS.

Further to the UK’s announcement last year of an increase in funding to UNAIDS from £2.5 million in 2021 to £8 million in 2022, the UK recommitted to maintaining funding for 2023 at £8 million which was warmly welcomed by UNAIDS. As was the announcement of a multiple year 10 million Euro commitment to UNAIDS from Ireland.

Ms Byanyima emphasized the enormous efforts UNAIDS has made to reduce costs including a 10% reduction in total staff costs and the reconfiguration of regional support to countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia as well as in the Middle East and North Africa. Despite these efforts she raised serious concerns over the US$ 51 million shortfall against UNAIDS core budget of US$ 210 million saying, “We have exhausted all options for achieving greater efficiency in our delivery. There is no scope for ‘doing more with less’.”

A thematic segment was held on the third and final day of the Board meeting on Priority and key populations, especially transgender people, and the path to 2025 targets. This provided the Board with an opportunity to discuss the inequalities preventing progress in the AIDS response for key populations and how the HIV response can more effectively reduce the risk and impacts of HIV among these populations.

Erika Castellanos, Director of Programmes at the Global Action for Trans Equality told her story growing up as a transgender person and her experience living with HIV. She talked about the enormous challenges she faced growing up and why she has committed her life to helping others. Her moving and passionate speech received a standing ovation from Board members.

“We need to do better. We need to stop demonizing - sexualizing and hating trans and gender diverse people, said Ms Castellanos. “More than allies, we need our fellow humans, our family, our friends, our work colleagues, to see us as equal to, as same as, not different from. When we view the world through the lens of what unites us, rather than what divides us, we have a much better chance of improving the lives, health and human rights of all persons on this earth. And after all, is that what we all really want most of all? To love, and to be loved?”

Also, during the thematic discussions was the powerful intervention of Justice Edwin Cameron who formerly served as Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. He urged countries to, “create a legal environment that enables, a system of law that doesn’t disable marginalized and vulnerable groups. To employ the law to empower rather than oppress. It means scrapping pointlessly moralistically, punitive criminal laws. It means equality before the law.” Reflecting how central community-led responses are to the HIV response, the PCB non-governmental delegation reminded all present that communities ‘aren’t just targets of interventions, we are the intervention.’

The Board meeting also provided an opportunity to launch the Compendium of Promising Practices on the role of African faith community interventions to end paediatric and adolescent HIV. HIV prevalence among children and adolescents in Africa remains a deeply concerning issue. As does access to treatment where more than three quarters of all adults living with HIV are accessing treatment compared to only half of children. The Compendium will highlight successful models and best practices implemented by faith-based organizations to share knowledge and strengthen the response to HIV for children and adolescents.

The meeting was chaired by Germany, with Kenya serving as the Vice-Chair and Brazil as Rapporteur. The report to the Board by the UNAIDS Executive Director, the reports for each agenda item and the PCB’s decisions can be found at: UNAIDS Executive Director's report to the 52nd UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. The 53rd meeting of the PCB will take place in Geneva on 12-14 December 2023.

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.

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE, 16 June 2023 – Ambassador Dr. John N. Nkengasong, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, visited Maputo June 14-16. Ambassador Nkengasong was accompanied by UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, who leads the United Nations’ efforts to end the AIDS pandemic by 2030, and Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund Mark Edington. This historic joint visit, the first time that these three organization leaders visited Mozambique together, underscores the strong commitment to combat HIV/AIDS over the past 20 years as well as the critical importance of a sustainable HIV/AIDS response.

During their visit, the delegation met with Prime Minister Maleiane, Economy and Finance Minister Tonela, and Health Minister Tiago, as well as civil society organizations. In those meetings, the delegation emphasized the need to develop a sustainable HIV/AIDS response, the importance of protecting human rights, and the need to work across several ministries when addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique. The group also visited Primeiro de Maio, a high-volume health facility in Maputo supported by PEPFAR and the Global Fund that aims to prevent new HIV and TB infections and increase access to quality care and treatment services for people living with HIV.

“Saving lives and ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat in Mozambique – and globally – by 2030 requires a sustainable HIV/AIDS response,” stated Ambassador Nkengasong. “The United States, Global Fund and UNAIDS are united in our partnership with Mozambique to see this through. Through country leadership, collaboration with bilateral and multilateral partners, and strong engagement from civil society, Mozambique can achieve the UNAIDS HIV treatment targets by 2030.”

“This joint visit to Mozambique has inspired us all,” noted Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director. “The end of AIDS is possible, but only by working together as government, civil society, international partners and UN, by empowering women and girls, and by ensuring no one is stigmatized nor excluded. In a country where the face of HIV is that of a girl, where every 20 minutes an adolescent girl or young woman is infected, we have seen how by scaling up the lessons of effective programs we can overcome the inequalities holding back the end of AIDS. To reach everyone, it will take all of us.”

“Mozambique has made solid gains in reducing the spread of HIV and it has been impressive to see some of the work behind the progress on this trip,” said Mark Edington, Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund. “We are deeply committed to helping Mozambique end HIV/AIDS as a public health crisis, but sustaining and scaling this progress so far will take strong engagement from all partners, the government and civil society.”

The U.S. government, the Global Fund, and UNAIDS have provided significant, ongoing support for Mozambique in its fight against HIV/AIDS since they were founded. Each year, the United States invests more than $400 million in PEPFAR funding to Mozambique aimed at ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Over the next three years, the Global Fund plans to invest $770 million for HIV, TB, and Malaria. The U.S. government has supported Mozambique in its fight against HIV/AIDS since the Mozambique PEPFAR Coordination Office opened in 2003.

UNAIDS welcomes the issuance of Resolution 881 of 2023 by the Ministry of Health of Colombia, which initiates the administrative procedure to evaluate the existence of reasons of public interest for issuing a compulsory license for dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimens. According to the ministerial resolution, the impact of this measure could mean a significant reduction of more than 80% of DTG’s price.

Dolutegravir (DTG) is an antiretroviral integrase inhibitor, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a first-line treatment option for people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Regarding viral suppression and disease reduction, treatments incorporating DTG-based regimens have demonstrated greater adherence due to their lower incidence of adverse events while presenting enhanced effectiveness, safety, and reduced likelihood of resistance development.

Compulsory licensing is a provision in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“TRIPS Agreement”), that enables governments to supply its citizens with generic versions of patented treatments either through domestic production or imports, ensuring drug prices are affordable. WTO Inter-ministerial 2001 Doha Declaration reaffirmed the rights of member states to make use of all flexibilities in the agreement to protect public health, including compulsory licenses, “and the freedom to determine the grounds upon which such licenses are granted.” More recently, in the 2021 Political Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on AIDS, countries have committed to make use of TRIPS flexibilities “specifically geared to promoting access to medicines.”

"This resolution is a step forward to provide equal and sustainable access to best HIV treatment options for all people living with HIV in Colombia, nationals and migrants. This action shows the government’s commitment to close the treatment gap with assured quality affordable essential medicines which are easy to take and very well tolerated.”, says Andrea Boccardi, UNAIDS Director for the Andean Countries (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. "The government issued national guidelines in 2021, in line with WHO recommendations, but until now high prices of DTG have remained an obstacle to make it widely accessible to people living with HIV in Colombia."

The Colombian League for the Fight against AIDS and the IFARMA Foundation also celebrated the decision from the Colombian government. Both institutions participated on behalf of civil society in the updating of the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) based on scientific evidence for the care of HIV/AIDS infection in adults, pregnant women and adolescents.

"The decision validates past initiatives of civil society in Colombia to achieve greater coverage of simplified treatments with fewer adverse effects at the lowest possible price, while at the same time it will reinvigorate the efforts of community-based organizations in education and promotion of adherence to ARVs, recognizing that structural barriers are factors that facilitate or hinder adherence to antiretroviral treatments", says Jorge Pacheco, Director of the Colombian League for the Fight against AIDS.

“Through this measure Colombia is taking an important step to guarantee people’s access to the most appropriate medication for them in line with international recommendations and commitments”, says Luisa Cabal, UNAIDS Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Timely access to effective HIV treatment can save lives, improve health outcomes, enhance the quality of life, and contribute to the overall well-being of individuals living with HIV. This measure shows commitment to the global effort to combat inequalities in access to health."

UNAIDS commends and supports the Ministry of Health for its proactive approach to pursuing public interest and urges all stakeholders to collaborate in implementing Resolution 881 of 2023. 

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, 13 June 2023—The Executive Director of UNAIDS Winnie Byanyima has been presented with the prestigious Amsterdam Dinner Award 2023 for her activism and work to end stigma and discrimination around HIV. The annual Amsterdam Dinner, initiated in 1992, is the Netherlands largest fundraising event for HIV and has raised millions of euros to support HIV projects around the world.

Delivering remarks on behalf of Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Loiza Lamers said, “The situation in Uganda makes clear once again that the struggle for equal rights is far from over and proof that the world needs more people like her and more than ever. I am proud that the Netherlands is her ally in this fight. Being who you are and loving who you love should never be a crime.”

“We are grateful that the Netherlands stands strong on LGBTIQ rights and the rights of women and girls and that you are our steadfast ally in this fight,” said Ms Byanyima. 

This year’s event shone a spotlight on work for women by women and highlighted the disproportionate impact HIV is having on women and girls. Around the world a young woman aged between 15 and 24 becomes infected with HIV every two minutes and in sub-Saharan Africa young women and girls are 3 times more likely to become infected with HIV than their male peers. 

Ms Byanyima is a fierce advocate for the rights of women and girls as well as for the rights of key populations most affected by HIV.  “I share this honour with thousands of passionate, fearless activists around the world who daily fight stigma and discrimination and defend the right to health of every human being. I share it with my UNAIDS colleagues,” said Ms Byanyima.

The event held on 10 June in Amsterdam raised 1.3 million euros for projects for women living with HIV in Mozambique and the Netherlands.

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.

UNAIDS launching group to generate evidence on the inequalities driving pandemics and advocate for the adoption of multisectoral approaches to strengthen the response to AIDS and other pandemics  

BRASILIA/GENEVA, 6 June 2023—Brazil is hosting the announcement of the new Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics chaired by The First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos, the Director of the University College London Institute for Health Equity, Sir Michael Marmot and the Nobel prize winning economist, Joseph E. Stiglitz. Brazil’s Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, is a founding member.

“I am delighted to host the announcement of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics. It is time to convert lessons learned into action by reducing the inequalities driving today’s health crises and strengthening pandemic preparedness for the future,” said Ms Trindade, “Brazil is determined to play its part by making the case for increased collaboration and evidence-based policymaking to build more resilient health systems around the world.”
 

Social and economic inequalities within countries and between them are exacerbating and prolonging pandemics and amplifying their impact amongst the poorest and the most vulnerable. The same intersecting inequalities that drive HIV, COVID-19, MPox and other diseases are leaving countries and communities at risk of future outbreaks and pandemics. But experience shows that there are actions at the global, regional and national levels that can build pandemic responses that reduce rather than exacerbate inequality.

The work of the Global Council will harness essential evidence for policymakers and elevate political attention to the need for action to end inequalities that fuel AIDS and other pandemics. Crucially, it will encourage and support frontline communities to advocate for the policy shifts necessary to fight current pandemics and better prepare for tomorrow’s outbreaks.

“The AIDS response is one of the best examples of how communities experiencing intersecting inequalities can unite to overcome them and save millions of lives,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima who is a member of the Global Council and is in Brazil for the announcement. “A broad movement of people living with and affected by HIV has brought down the price of medicines and diagnostics, strengthened national health responses, enabled the rise of a strong network of community-led organizations and secured the removal of punitive discriminatory laws in many countries. But evidence-based policies and approaches need to be applied everywhere and for everyone and sadly that’s not the case right now.” 

Gender-based inequities endanger the health of women around the world. For example, in countries including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia HIV prevalence for young women is more than 5 times more than young men of the same age—reflecting, in part, economic and education inequality.

“Gender inequality provides fuel to pandemics like AIDS and COVID-19” said the First Lady of Namibia, Monica Geingos. “It increases the vulnerability of women and girls to deadly viruses by limiting access to knowledge, financial resources, and life-choices and undermines their ability to protect themselves and their families. We have to re-imagine pandemic responses that can reduce inequality rather than exacerbate it.”

“Inequalities in access to health and other essential services are largely the result of deliberate policy choices,” said Joseph Stiglitz. “To fight future pandemics, we must learn the lessons of the HIV response and adopt inequality-busting approaches to make the world a healthier, fairer and safer place for everyone.”

Successes and failures in the HIV response provide valuable lessons on how the world can deal with future pandemics. For example, gay men are more likely to be living with HIV. But laws and policies drive the size of the gap. In Malaysia where gay men are criminalized and arrested gay men are 72 times more likely to be infected than other adults; but in Thailand where same-sex relations are legal and community pandemic response is strong, gay men are only 12 times more likely. Viruses cross population groups. These contribute to why Thailand, with lower inequality, is approaching epidemic control while Malaysia is losing ground in the fight against AIDS.

Meanwhile, the issue of inequality extends beyond HIV to other pandemics. Countries with higher income inequality, for example, have experienced greater COVID-19 mortality. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, wealthy countries spent billions of dollars on responses but almost half of developing countries were forced to cut health spending, undermining the capacity to fight global pandemics.  Several countries in Africa continue reporting significant numbers of MPox deaths during the pandemic, yet the vaccines being used in high-income countries are not available.        

Even within countries that have made good progress against HIV, some communities have struggled to benefit from the staggering pace of medical advances. In Brazil, HIV infections are falling dramatically among the white population as access to treatment is widened and new prevention tools such as PrEP are rolled out but HIV infections among the black population are still on the rise.

“Evidence-based strategies to address the social determinants of health are crucial not only for improved health outcomes for the individual but also for building stronger economies and fairer societies,” said Sir Michael Marmot, from Brasilia. “Health is a good marker of how well a society is doing overall. Health equity tells us about societal inequalities.”

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, 1 June 2023—As the world comes together to celebrate Pride Month, UNAIDS stands in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities around the globe. Pride Month provides an opportunity to celebrate the resilience, diversity, and achievements of LGBTQI individuals, while also reflecting on the challenges they continue to face. This momentous occasion serves as a reminder of our collective commitment to human rights, equality, and the urgent need to decriminalize same-sex relationships.

Cleiton Euzebio, Senior Advisor for Communities and Key Populations, UNAIDS said, “As a gay man, and as an activist for social justice for all, I am so proud to work for the UN’s Joint Programme to end AIDS. The UN is standing with communities, supporting them in leading the HIV response, confronting stigma, and building societies where every person is valued. This month and every month, may everyone feel pride in who they are.”

Thanks in large part to efforts led by key populations, the world has seen substantial progress in the HIV response. The end of AIDS is possible. However, inequalities stand in the way. Discrimination, violence, and stigma against LGBTQI people persist in many parts of the world, limiting access to essential services, including HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support.

Criminalization of same-sex relationships remains a significant barrier to achieving social justice and equality for LGBTQI individuals, and to ensuring health for all. Laws that criminalize consensual same-sex activity perpetuate stigma, contribute to violence and discrimination, and obstruct access to vital healthcare services. UNAIDS calls on all governments to urgently repeal discriminatory laws and policies, and to work towards creating an enabling legal and social environment that respects and protects the rights of LGBTQI people.

The decriminalization of same-sex relationships is a crucial step in our collective efforts to end the AIDS pandemic. When marginalized communities are criminalized or stigmatized, their vulnerability to HIV infection increases, and their access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services is obstructed.

Significant gains that have been won in advancing LGBTQI rights in many parts of the world, including the decriminalization of same-sex relationships in several countries—from Angola to Singapore to Barbados. However other countries are imposing harsher criminal laws on same sex relationships. Decriminalizing homosexuality is essential to ensuring the end of AIDS.

UNAIDS will be taking part in the Geneva Pride march on 10th June. Pride Month is a vital reminder of the need for governments, civil society organizations, and individuals to join together for the protection and promotion of human rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. Together, we can build a world that upholds equality, justice, and dignity for everyone.

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.

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.

Released ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia – 17 May 2023

GENEVA, 15 May 2023—Around the world, 67 countries still criminalise same sex relations, with 10 imposing the death penalty. 20 countries criminalise gender diversity. Such laws hurt the public health of everyone, costing lives. Public health and human rights go hand in hand.

“The importance of decriminalising homosexuality and gender diversity cannot be underestimated,” said Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director, Policy, Advocacy and Knowledge, UNAIDS. “Decriminalising will save lives and is a crucial step towards equality, dignity, and health for all.”

Across all cultures, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression are diverse. LGBTQI+ people are part of every society in every country since time immemorial, yet LGBTQI+ people continue to be marginalised and excluded—be it legally, culturally, socially or a combination of all.

Criminalisation, along with pervasive discrimination and violence, obstructs LGBTQI+ people from accessing life-saving services. In a growing number of cases, health service providers are also experiencing being harassed by vigilantes or police for providing life-saving services to LGBTQI+ people.

UNAIDS reports that in countries where same sex relations are criminalised, HIV prevalence is five times higher among gay men and men who have sex with men than in countries where same sex relations are not criminalised. Where there have been recent prosecutions, this increases to 12 times higher.

Recognizing that criminal laws have a detrimental impact on the HIV response, United Nations member states at the UN General Assembly committed to ambitious targets in the 2021 Political Declaration on HIV to remove criminal laws that are undermining the HIV response and leaving key populations behind. Recognizing decriminalisation as a critical element in the HIV response, countries made a commitment that by 2025, less than 10% of countries would have punitive legal and policy environments that affect the HIV response.

There has been a positive wave of progress. In the past year Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis, Singapore, Barbados and the Cook Islands have repealed old colonial laws which had criminalised same-sex relations. Kuwait’s court overturned a law that had criminalised “imitating the opposite sex”.

Brazil is amongst the countries driving forward progress in advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people. The Minister of Health and the Minister of Human Rights will announce that the country will be joining the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination during an event on 17 May. The event will focus on access to care and justice for trans and gender-diverse communities.

However, running counter to the wave of progress is a renewed, well-funded, well-organised international drive to sow prejudice and push discriminatory and harmful new anti-homosexuality legislation and anti-trans legislation.

If enacted into law, this legislation will have extremely damaging consequences for public health, obstructing LGBTQI + people from accessing health services, and obstructing health workers from providing, life-saving services including services to prevent and treat HIV. It is vital for public health that this harmful push be stopped.

On International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, UNAIDS is calling on all countries to remove punitive laws and tackle prejudices against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. A more just, equitable and kind world is a healthier one, for everyone.

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.

Harm reduction policies and practices help people who are using drugs to stay alive and protect them from HIV and Hepatitis C

Released ahead of International Harm Reduction Day - 7 May 2023

GENEVA, 5 May 2023—Many prison systems are struggling to cope, with overcrowding, inadequate resources, limited access to healthcare and other support services, violence and drug use. In 2021, the estimated numbers of people in prisons increased by 24% since the previous year to an estimated 10.8 million people, increasing the strain on already overstretched prison systems.   

Drug use is prevalent in prisons. UNAIDS Cosponsor, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), estimates that in some countries up to 50% of people in prisons use or inject drugs. Unsafe drug injecting practices are a major risk factor for the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C due to limited access to harm reduction services, including condoms, clean needles and syringes, and a lack of comprehensive drug treatment programs, particularly opioid agonist therapy.

People in prison are 7.2 times more likely to be living with HIV than adults in the general population. UNAIDS reports that HIV prevalence among people in prisons increased by 13% since 2017, reaching 4.3% in 2021. Although data are limited, it is thought that around one in four of the total prison population has hepatitis C.

“Access to healthcare, including harm reduction services, is a fundamental human right, and no one should be denied that right because they are incarcerated,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “Prisons are too often ignored in countries' efforts to respond to HIV. A multisectoral, multifaceted approach is urgently needed to save lives, which includes access to clean needles and syringes, effective treatment for dependence on opioid drugs and reducing stigma and discrimination.”

Both drug use and HIV infection are more prevalent among women in prison than among imprisoned men. In particular, women who use drugs and sex workers are overrepresented in prisons. Highlighting the urgent need to scale up the implementation of community-led harm reduction services for women who use drugs and women in prison. 

Ms Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC, said, “It is time to put compassion at the heart of our responses. To take a more serious look at de-penalization and alternatives to incarceration for minor drug offenses, focusing instead on treating and rehabilitating. To use a gender-sensitive lens when looking at women and girls who use drugs, and to ensure that they have equal access to treatment. To reach out to young people, who are using drugs more than ever before, understand their vulnerabilities to substance abuse, and help them be part of the solution. To stand with marginalized and vulnerable people, including people in prisons who are underserved by treatment programmes, and people who inject drugs, who are far more likely to be living with HIV, yet far less likely to access life-saving services”.

Among the countries reporting on prisons to UNAIDS in 2019, just 6 of 104 countries had needle and syringe programmes in at least one prison; only 20 of 102 countries had opioid substitution therapy programmes in at least one prison, 37 of 99 countries had condoms and lubricants in some prisons.

UNAIDS, UNODC, and WHO have long supported expanding harm reduction services to all prisons. However, according to Harm Reduction International, only 59 countries globally provide opioid agonist therapy in prisons.

Some countries have made huge progress in recent years. Despite the challenges faced by the influx of refugees and the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, Moldova, (which has an HIV prevalence of 3.2% in its prisons, compared to 0.4% among the general population) has committed significantly more resources into its prison systems.

In the early 2000’s few of its prisons provided harm reduction services. Today all of the country’s 17 penitentiaries provide harm reduction services including, methadone (an opioid agonist therapy), access to psychiatrists, doctors and treatment programmes, needle and syringe exchange and HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

Svetlana Plamadeala, UNAIDS Country Director in Moldova said, “It’s about putting people front and center, treating them as equals and taking on a solid, public health approach, grounded in human rights and evidence.”

UNAIDS, UNODC, UNFPA, WHO, ILO and UNDP recommend 15 comprehensive and essential interventions to save lives and ensure effective HIV programming in prisons. These include HIV prevention, testing and treatment, condoms, lubricant, opioid agonist therapy and post-exposure prophylaxis. However, this is only part of the solution. UNAIDS also recommends that countries amend their laws to decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use.

UNAIDS has set ambitious targets for 2025 which include: 95% of people in prisons and other closed settings who know their HIV status, 95% who know their status are on treatment; and 95% on treatment are virally suppressed; 90% of prisoners used condoms at last sexual activity with a non-regular partner; 90% of prisoners who inject drugs used sterile needles and syringes at last injection; and that 100% of prisoners have regular access to appropriate health system or community-led services.

UNAIDS advocates that communities take an active role in planning, providing and monitoring HIV services. However, this is not always facilitated in prison settings. Without community engagement it will be impossible to reach the global AIDS targets.

For more information on Moldova’s work on HIV in prisons please read Moldova expands harm reduction services to all prisons and watch https://youtu.be/JQYtnsiJKs0

Fact sheet: UNAIDS Human rights fact sheet on HIV in prisons

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.

BANGKOK, 15 April 2023—UNAIDS applauds today’s decision by Cook Islands lawmakers to remove laws prohibiting consensual sexual acts between men from the Crimes Act. By decriminalising sex between same-sex partners, the Pacific nation joins a global movement toward affirming the human rights to non-discrimination and privacy.

“Cook Islands’ latest move is part of a wave of global progress around removing laws that harm. It will inspire countries across the Pacific, Asia and the world to follow suit. Decriminalise, save lives," said UNAIDS Asia Pacific Regional Director, Eamonn Murphy.

Criminalisation of same-sex relations undermines the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Punitive laws reinforce stigma and discrimination against LGBT people, undermining their access to the rights, remedies and opportunities available to other people. Such laws also obstruct access to vital services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare.

"This decision by Cook Islands will save lives,” said Mr Murphy. “The abolition of punitive and discriminatory colonial laws across the world is essential for public health, including for ensuring the end of AIDS.”

Bi-partisan support for the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill demonstrates that policy-makers, civil society and communities can dialogue to develop laws that create more just and equitable societies. 

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.