Events

Antiretroviral stock-outs are a serious public health problem in the Latin America region and represent an important risk to the sustainability of the HIV response, according to participants at AIDS2018.

On July 26, a session titled Sustainability of the response to HIV in Latin America; factors that impact access to drugs and health supplies addressed and analyzed the magnitude, the structural causes and the impact of stock-outs on the sustainability of the HIV response in Latin America. Participants discussed strategies to pave the way forward and highlighted best practices on joint purchases of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment like the PAHO/OMS strategic fund, which has helped prevent stock-outs.

In Latin America, one of the most important achievements in the HIV response has been the recognition that accessing HIV treatment is part of the right to health in the public health system, resulting in an increased number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment in recent years. However, a major challenge to fulfill the right to health is to guarantee uninterrupted supplies of ARV drugs and other essential health commodities.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in 2012 45% of the countries reported at least one stock-out episode; the figure had been 54% in 2010. Although some improvements are seen from 2010 to 2012, the region is still experiencing a high frequency of stock-outs.

Shortages of ARVs and other essential supplies result in changes and interruptions in patient treatment, threaten the lives of people with HIV and hamper the reduction of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.

Participants at the session stressed the need for greater health system strengthening and joint procurement processes, including the incorporation of TRIPS flexibilities to reduce ARV costs, aligned with policies for simplified treatment regimens. According to participants, all these factors are essential to prevent and respond to stock-outs of ARVs and medical supplies.

European Union political leaders met to discuss the successes, challenges and future priorities for addressing HIV in Europe at ministerial meeting in the margins of the 2018 AIDS conference.

The session started with a powerful appeal from the European civil society co-chair Esther Dixon-Williams (European AIDS Treatment Group) to ensure people living with HIV and key populations remain central to the discussions in keeping with the call from the inception of the AIDS response “nothing about us without us”.

A few European Union (EU) countries are on track to reach the 90-90-90 goals, however to reach the target of ending AIDS by 2030 and leaving no one behind, increased efforts to reach out to men who have sex with men, transgender people, migrants, sex workers, people who inject drugs and people in detention are needed.  

The rising epidemic among men who have sex with men in central and south eastern Europe was highlighted as well as the continuing emergency for people who use drugs in the eastern European states. HIV-related stigma and the criminalisation of people who use drugs, sex workers, MSM, transgender people are major obstacles to seeking, accessing or staying on treatment. Understanding this stigma and reducing it should be a key priority in the months and years ahead for the European Union institutions and its EU member states. Civil Society drew attention to the Ljubljana Declaration 2.0, a call for urgent action in response to rapidly expanding HIV epidemics among gay men, other men who have sex with men and trans people in newer EU member states and enlargement countries

Important announcements were made by Germany, France and the Netherlands highlighting that increasing demand and making pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) available and reimbursed nationally for all is a priority within the next months. It was highlighted that Europe needs to do more to ensure the right to health of migrants is respected.  Migrants must be protected from increased vulnerability to HIV to access needed health services regardless of residency or insurance status and that they are not returned to countries where there is no real access to treatment.

The ministerial meeting provided an opportunity to showcase the tremendous contribution European Union member states countries and the European Commission have made to the AIDS response globally and within their own borders. Participants highlighted that together the individual EU Member States and the EU itself via the European Commission contribute significantly to international funding for the AIDS response. The next Global Fund replenishment will be hosted in Paris, France in 2019. The role of the European Union is even more critical as international funding flatlines and the need is great for support particularly for countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The session was also an opportunity to hear about the innovations and excellent practices in some countries in the region. Speakers highlighting the importance of supportive legal environments and engagement of affected communities. Portugal highlighted its commitment to the agenda and the difference that introducing harm reduction approach has made as it has seen a drastic reduction in new HIV infections. The European Commission showed how an integrated approach to HIV, TB, viral hepatitis and STIs, as well as legal frameworks allowing for community engagement in health service delivery outside of medical settings is the way to reach more people and maximise investments at countries level.  This approach underpins the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals on health and on justice. The city of Amsterdam showed it has virtually reached 90-90-90 with a city policy that supports the right to health, coordination between stakeholders and an inclusive and innovative environment for all citizens in the city. Speakers also highlighted the expanding epidemic in Eastern Europe and the need for increased collaboration with the region.

A focus on integrated health services, rights, reaching those at risk of being left behind and inclusiveness is emerging in a number of EU member states. Yet there is only twelve years to 2030 and efforts need to be sustained and expanded to ensure that Europe is on the Fast Track to ending AIDS – leaving no one behind

Estimating how many people living with HIV are on treatment is vital to keeping track of the success or otherwise of the global AIDS response. HIV treatment not only keeps people alive, but, through reducing the viral load of a person, greatly reduces the chance that a person living with HIV will transmit the virus to someone else.

UNAIDS published its latest estimates of the number of people living with HIV accessing antiretroviral therapy in its new report, Miles to go. An estimated 21.7 million [19.1–22.6 million] people of the 36.9 million [31.1–43.9 million] people living with HIV at the end of 2017 were on HIV treatment.

A total of 143 countries submitted the data that UNAIDS used to compile the estimate, representing 91% of all people estimated to be on treatment worldwide. Those 143 countries supply actual counts of people on treatment, not estimates, although estimates are used for those few countries that do not supply counts. Countries report their numbers of people on treatment—both adults and children, disaggregated by sex—through the Global AIDS Monitoring tool every six months. Similar data are included in the Spectrum epidemiological estimation software.

UNAIDS provides technical assistance and training to public health officials and clinical officers—the people who compile the numbers in the countries—to ensure that their reports on treatment coverage are accurate. In addition, every year, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and other partners that support the delivery of HIV treatment services, UNAIDS reviews and validates the treatment numbers reported through both the Global AIDS Monitoring tool and Spectrum.

When UNAIDS’ estimates of treatment coverage in countries are compared with estimates of treatment coverage made in Population-Based HIV Impact Assessments (PHIA) and other surveys, similar levels of treatment coverage are seen (see the attached graph).

In 2017, UNAIDS carried out a triangulation of data as a way to confirm or deny the results of its annual data collection. That analysis sought to answer a simple question: are enough antiretroviral medicines produced and bought to treat the number of people reported to be on antiretroviral therapy?

At the end of 2016, 19.4 million people globally were on antiretroviral therapy, with an estimated 14.1 million people accessing treatment in generic-accessible low- and middle-income countries.

A study of the exports and domestic procurement of antiretroviral medicines in 2016 from India showed 11.4 million person-years of treatment. When the generic antiretroviral medicines produced in other countries were included, an estimate of 14.2 million–16.2 million person-years on treatment was made—sufficient to treat the 14.1 million people in generic-accessible low- and middle-income countries.

In 2018, UNAIDS partnered with the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and selected technical partners and ministries of health in 28 countries, most of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, to conduct data quality reviews of reported treatment numbers and, where over- or undercounting is found, to correct current and historical reports of treatment numbers. Previous data quality reviews since 2016 have been used to adjust estimates, for example by taking into account people who transfer from one clinic to another, but are reported by both clinics, or people who have died, left care or emigrated but are not identified and removed from treatment registries.

More details on the methods for calculating the number of people on treatment can be found in the annex on the methods in Miles to go, while details of how the triangulation was undertaken can be found in a publication published on an earlier triangulation exercise.

Seventy-seven per cent of all adults living with HIV are virally supressed in Namibia

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 26 July 2018—UNAIDS welcomes new survey data showing that 77% of all adults living with HIV in Namibia are virally suppressed. The Namibia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA) survey included 24 000 people from 0–64 years old. Participants were offered HIV counselling and testing as well as linkage to care and treatment for people who tested positive for HIV.

“Namibia’s concerted efforts to reach people with HIV testing and treatment are producing extraordinary results,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “UNAIDS will continue to support Namibia in reaching all people living with HIV with testing and treatment and in boosting Namibia’s HIV prevention efforts to further bring down new HIV infections.”

NAMPHIA was a widespread household HIV survey funded by the Government of the United States of America and conducted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Columbia University and local government and nongovernmental partners from June to December 2017.

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.

Worldwide every year, 12 million girls under the age of 18 years are married—that's equivalent to 23 girls every minute. Married too soon. Their personal growth, health and fundamental rights and freedoms denied. Gender inequalities and gender-based violence force thousands of girls into marriage and motherhood. Girls with no education are three times as likely to marry by the age of 18 years as those with a secondary or higher education. And girls who marry before they are 15 years old are 50% more likely to face physical or sexual violence from a partner.

Child marriage often means that girls find it difficult to negotiate safer sex with their husbands, who are commonly older and more sexually experienced, making the girls especially vulnerable to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

UNAIDS’ latest report, Miles to go, highlights the reality that adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa, are being left behind. Every week, more than 6600 adolescent girls and young women become newly infected with HIV, with sub-Saharan African women and girls bearing the brunt, accounting for one in four HIV infections in 2017 despite being just 10% of the population.

Girls Not Brides, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and UNAIDS hosted a panel discussion on the issue of child marriage at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, bringing together panellists from across regions, sectors and generations. Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia, was a special guest speaker.

When girls and women are empowered with rights and given equitable access to education, enabled to participate fully in the labour force and equitably represented in government and decision-making bodies, the benefits far outreach improving the lives of the individual woman. Their families, communities and countries thrive. Yet, more than 150 million girls will become child brides by 2030.

The panellists highlighted the need to tackle the underlining determinants behind both HIV and child marriage. They emphasized the need for a comprehensive multisectoral and resourced approach. Gender inequality and harmful social norms have to be challenged. The solutions, they said, include keeping girls in school, providing health services that serve young people’s needs and mobilizing families and communities, including men and boys.

A meeting at the 2018 International AIDS Conference, being held from 23 to 27 July in Amsterdam, Netherlands, has showcased how Kenya is responding to the challenges and opportunities on the way towards validation of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in a high-burden context. 

Building on the Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free framework, specific attention is being given in Kenya to ensuring access to treatment for children and adolescents living with HIV, while addressing inequities, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.

The participants heard about the role of high-level champions—including community leaders, parents, religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders—highlighting the need for action at all levels, based on robust programmatic data.

Kenya has made significant progress in preventing new HIV infections among children, which fell from an estimated 13 000 in 2010 to 8000 in 2017. This has been possible through programmes such as the mentor mother initiative, which supports and cares for women living with HIV, the mother–baby pair approach, which synchronizes appointments for the mother and the child at the health facility, and audits of every child exposed to HIV in order to identify barriers in accessing health facilities.

The leadership of Margaret Kenyatta, the First Lady of Kenya, and her Beyond Zero Campaign have been instrumental in raising awareness on the importance of services to promote the health of mothers and children, including HIV prevention.

The participants heard, however, that more needs to be done to ensure that progress is equal across the country. Progress has been threatened by recent challenges, such as a health workers strike, which has affected antenatal care and testing coverage, and reduced community support, which has affected demand creation for HIV services.

The participants decided that there was an urgent need to scale up HIV programmes. This would be complemented by innovations in tracking the targets for paediatric and adolescent HIV and accounting for every mother and child. Furthermore, the resilience of the health system needs to be strengthened.

The meeting, held on 24 July, was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health of Kenya, UNAIDS and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Prosecutions of people living with HIV for acts that pose no risk of HIV exposure or transmission prompt scientists to issue a statement urging the criminal justice system to use science when considering prosecution of HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 25 July 2018—A group of 20 leading HIV scientists from around the world have issued a scientific consensus statement urging governments and people working in the legal and justice systems to pay close attention to the significant advances in HIV science to ensure that science informs the application of criminal law in cases related to HIV.

“Science has greatly advanced in recent years which has been critical in allowing countries to make evidence informed decisions in their HIV programming,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “With all the new scientific advances now available we need to continue to use science as evidence to deliver justice. No one should face criminalization because of a lack of information or understanding by the justice system about the risks of HIV transmission.”

The expert group of scientists, convened by UNAIDS, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and the International AIDS Society, warn that an overly broad and inappropriate application of criminal law against people living with HIV remains a serious concern across the globe. Around 73 countries have laws that criminalize HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission, and 39 countries have applied other criminal law provisions in similar cases.

“Many of these laws do not take into account measures that reduce HIV transmissibility, including condom use, and were enacted well before the preventive benefit of antiretroviral therapy or pre-exposure prophylaxis was fully characterized,” said José M. Zuniga, IAPAC President and Chief Executive Officer. “Most people living with HIV who know their status take steps to prevent transmitting HIV to others. Laws that specifically criminalize HIV non-disclosure, exposure, or transmission thus primarily exacerbate HIV-related stigma and decrease HIV service uptake.”

Most prosecutions have occurred based on perceived risk of HIV transmission through sexual activity. Some have also occurred for biting, spitting or even scratching. Prosecutions, and convictions, have often been influenced by a lack of knowledge or appreciation of scientific evidence regarding the possibility of transmission of the virus. In many instances, they have been influenced by deep-rooted stigma and fear associated with HIV, which still exists despite the huge advances in HIV treatment and prevention.

“We support this globally relevant expert consensus statement, for which we have been long-time advocates,” said HIV Justice Network’s Senior Policy Analyst Sally Cameron, on behalf of the Steering Committee of HIV Justice Worldwide, a global civil society coalition campaigning to end unjust prosecutions. “HIV criminalization is a growing global phenomenon that unfairly targets people living with HIV through criminal prosecutions and harsh penalties. This welcome statement makes the case that our current understanding of HIV science, alongside key human rights and legal principles, does not support this miscarriage of justice.”

The peer-reviewed consensus statement, endorsed by 70 additional scientists from around the world, was released today in the Journal of the International AIDS Society. It describes scientific evidence on the possibility of HIV transmission under various circumstances, the long-term impact of HIV infection and the means of proving HIV transmission so that it is better understood in criminal law contexts.

Based on a detailed analysis of the best available scientific evidence on HIV transmission and treatment effectiveness, the statement notes that there is no possibility of HIV transmission through saliva as a result of biting or spitting, even where saliva contains small quantities of blood. There is no to negligible possibility of HIV transmission where a condom is used correctly during sex, or where a partner living with HIV has an undetectable viral load.

In addition, effective antiretroviral therapy, low viral load, the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (antiretroviral drugs taken by an HIV-negative person before a possible exposure), or post-exposure prophylaxis (antiretroviral medicines taken after a possible exposure) all significantly reduce the possibility of HIV transmission.

International guidance on HIV in the context of the criminal law recommends that “proof of causation, in relation to HIV transmission, should always be based on evidence derived from a number of relevant sources, including medical records, rigorous scientific methods and sexual history” (Ending overly broad criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission: critical scientific, medical and legal considerations).

The experts recommend strongly that more caution be exercised when considering criminal prosecution, including careful appraisal of current scientific evidence on HIV risk and harms. The consensus statement is expected to help policymakers, prosecutors and courts be guided by the best available science and thereby avoid the misuse of the criminal law, as is currently happening in many countries worldwide.

Read the full Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law

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.

Faith Building Bridges, the interfaith pre-conference event that was held before the International AIDS Conference, ended on 22 July. The participants joined together in a common voice to demand that the world recommit to ending AIDS and that world leaders take strong actions now, and in the future, to ensure that the AIDS epidemic is brought to an end.

Some 150 representatives of faith-based organizations, religious leaders, health-care providers, activists, policy-makers and other stakeholders attended Faith Building Bridges, which was convened by the World Council of Churches–Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance. Sessions included migration and how it puts people at risk of HIV infection, role of faith groups in ending TB, as well as how faith communities can strategically support children and adolescents living with HIV.

At the closure of Faith Building Bridges, faith activities transitioned to the faith networking zone in the Global Village, where UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé engaged faith leaders in a lively dialogue on 24 July. He focused on the critical role of faith communities as champions of social justice to help eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Commemorating friends who died from AIDS-related illnesses and expressing hope and solidarity, people of diverse faiths came together in an interfaith prayer and memorial service on 23 July at the Keizersgrachtkerk in Amsterdam.

People of faith marched in solidarity with other conference delegates from the interfaith prayer service to the International AIDS Conference, expressing solidarity and commitment to the global response to HIV.

An interfaith networking zone in the Global Village will include events focusing on the importance of religious leadership in promoting HIV testing, testing and treatment for children and adolescents, addressing tuberculosis and HIV coinfection and strengthening interfaith responses to HIV.

The PACT, a global coalition of youth organizations working on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights, gathered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 24 July at the International AIDS Conference, a year after launching #UPROOT, a youth-led political agenda to end AIDS by 2030.

The session saw youth advocates share materials developed by #UPROOT to inspire and mobilize more young people to act at the country level to challenge harmful laws, advocate for youth participation in the AIDS response and build strategic and more resilient partnerships to end AIDS.

Discussions focused on persisting legal barriers that young people face to access services, including age of consent laws on HIV testing and treatment. In 2017, 73% of 125 countries reported having age of consent requirements for HIV testing, out of which 31% require consent for adolescents younger than 18 years old. The PACT, through the #UPROOT agenda, has developed a set of policy briefs aimed at youth advocates to tackle these legal and policy constrains to access services.

Young people’s participation in the HIV response was highlighted as a key determinant to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability. Youth participation in key decision-making spaces is still a challenge. A recent UNAIDS report, Youth and HIV: mainstreaming a three-lens approach to youth participation, suggests that “while young people participate in the development, consultation, validation or review of strategic documents that guide the HIV response at the country level, they participate much less frequently in spaces where decisions are made about the policy framework or resources invested in the HIV response.”

Greater technical and financial support to young people’s participation in community responses to HIV was also highlighted as a pending need of youth-led organizations and networks working on HIV.

Strengthening collaboration between medical students and young key populations to reform national medical curricula in order to tackle discrimination in health care was also a focus of the session. In 2017, under the #UPROOT agenda, the International Federation of Medical Students Associations signed a memorandum of understanding with youth organizations and networks, including networks of young key populations and young people living with HIV, to respond to discrimination in health care, resulting in stronger collaborations in several countries, including Egypt and Uganda.

All the resources developed by the #UPROOT agenda thus far, including guidance on youth organizing, advocacy and accountability in advancing the AIDS response and young people’s rights, will soon be available on an online action centre.

UNAIDS warns that countries urgently need to take proven, tailored, evidence-informed primary HIV prevention programmes to scale in addition to increasing access to treatment.

AMSTERDAM/GENEVA, 24 July 2018—UNAIDS is urging countries to take bold action to address the HIV prevention crisis. Around 1.8 million people became newly infected with HIV in 2017 and around 50 countries experienced a rise in new HIV infections as HIV prevention services are not being provided on an adequate scale or with sufficient intensity.

“Health is a human rights imperative and we are deeply concerned about the lack of political commitment and the failure to invest in proven HIV programmes, particularly for young people and key populations,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “If countries think they can treat their way out of their epidemics, they are dangerously mistaken.”

UNAIDS’ newly released report, Miles to go: closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices, shows that 47% of new HIV infections globally are among key populations. Although combination HIV prevention approaches work for key populations, including harm reduction, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), social care and condoms, many countries are unwilling to invest in approaches viewed as culturally or religiously inappropriate, unpopular or counter to the bad laws that may exist in a particular country.   

HIV prevalence can be high as up to 70% among sex workers in some southern African countries; however, about three quarters of countries reporting to UNAIDS criminalize some aspect of sex work and sex workers report that condoms are often confiscated by the police.

In eastern Europe and central Asia, one third of all new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs; however, 87% of countries reporting to UNAIDS criminalize drug use or possession of drugs, driving people underground and out of reach of HIV services. Many countries do not make sterile injecting equipment and opioid substitution therapy widely available, which is a huge barrier to efforts to bring down new HIV infections among this population and their partners.

Gay men and other men who have sex with men accounted for around 57% of new HIV infections in western and central Europe and North America in 2017 and an estimated 41% of new infections in Latin America. However, globally, access to HIV services for men who have sex with men is still being blocked by bad laws. Of 100 countries reporting to UNAIDS, at least 44 had laws specifically criminalizing same-sex sexual intercourse. The death penalty applied in two countries.

“If countries don’t provide comprehensive sexuality education, condoms, harm reduction or pre-exposure prophylaxis for key populations, this will ultimately translate into more new HIV infections, higher future treatment costs and a higher burden for health-care budgets and systems,” said Mr Sidibé.

Countries that have invested are seeing results. In Finland’s capital, Helsinki, for example, scale-up of harm reduction and HIV testing and treatment services led to a steep drop in new HIV infections and high rates of viral suppression among people who inject drugs. The number new HIV diagnoses in this key population decreased from more than 60 in 1999 to almost zero in 2014.

In San Francisco, United States of America, PrEP was added to programmes that include HIV testing, rapid linkages to antiretroviral therapy and boosting support for retention in care. Between 2013 and the end of 2016, there was a 43% decrease in new HIV diagnoses in the city, a decline that is being attributed to both quicker achievement of viral suppression among people who test HIV-positive and to increased uptake of PrEP.

Women and girls also need access to HIV prevention. In 2017, around 6500 women and girls were infected with HIV every week. Limited access to education, a lack of economic autonomy and a lack of decision-making power, including over their own health, expose them to intimate partner violence, limit their ability to practise safer sex and limit their ability to benefit from HIV and sexual and reproductive health services, making them more vulnerable to HIV infection.

Women and girls must have the knowledge and power to protect themselves against HIV in safe and enabling environments and must be able to access services that meet their needs. This requires countries to reform discriminatory laws that perpetuate inequality and develop and enforce laws that promote gender equality.

Young people also need age-appropriate youth-friendly health services. More than two thirds of countries reporting to UNAIDS require parental consent for a child under 18 years to access HIV testing, and more than half require consent for HIV treatment.

While most countries have significantly scaled up their HIV treatment programmes, some to the extent of reaching 80% of people living with HIV with antiretroviral therapy, the HIV prevention benefits of treatment that countries had hoped to achieve are not yet being realized. People are are not being diagnosed and treated soon enough, allowing transmissions to occur before they start treatment or if treatment is interrupted.

Botswana, for example, has nearly reached its 90–90–90* targets, as 86% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 84% of people who know their status are on antiretroviral therapy and 81% of people on antiretroviral therapy are virally supressed. However, new HIV infections have failed to see any declines since 2010.

To urgently address the HIV prevention crisis and increase political commitment for HIV prevention, a Global HIV Prevention Coalition of United Nations Member States, donors, civil society organizations and implementers was established in 2017 that includes the 25 highest HIV burden countries.

The overarching goal of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition is to strengthen and sustain political commitment for primary HIV prevention by setting a common agenda—the HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map—among key policy-makers, funders and programme implementers to accelerate progress towards reducing new HIV infections by 75% by 2020.

On 23 July 2018, the Global HIV Prevention Coalition came together at an event at the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to discuss the urgency for scaling up HIV prevention, share progress made and address persisting challenges, including policy barriers and inadequate financing for HIV prevention.

The Global HIV Prevention Coalition recently launched its first progress report, Implementation of the HIV Prevention 2020 Road Map, which shows that while initial progress has been made, more efforts are needed to move from political commitment to strong actions on the ground. 

* 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their status are receiving antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.

For more information on the HIV prevention crisis, go to unaids.org.

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.