GENEVA, 4 February 2016—On World Cancer Day, UNAIDS calls for greater investment in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and underlines the additional benefits to be achieved for women and adolescent girls from a coordinated response to HIV and cervical cancer.

Every year, more than 500 000 women develop cervical cancer, which is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), and more than 250 000 women die of the disease, most of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. Yet cervical cancer is a preventable disease that can also be successfully treated if detected early. Furthermore, the relationship between HPV and HIV offers significant opportunities to reduce the impact of both viruses, since existing HIV programmes could play an important role in expanding cervical cancer prevention and treatment services. For example, every woman who tests positive for HIV should be offered cervical cancer screening and follow-up treatment if necessary; HIV testing should also be offered during cervical cancer screening.

“Women are dying from cervical cancer unnecessarily,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé. “We must take advantage of the synergies that exist in responding to HIV and HPV to provide integrated and expanded quality prevention and treatment services and ensure that all women and adolescent girls have unrestricted access to quality health care, including to sexual and reproductive health-care services.”       

UNAIDS is a founding member of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, a global partnership dedicated to helping women access preventive care and treatment for cervical and breast cancers where the need is greatest and is also part of the Cervical Cancer Action coalition’s five-year initiative to build momentum for action on global cervical cancer prevention.

HPV infection increases women’s vulnerability to HIV transmission, while women living with HIV are four to five times more likely to develop cervical cancer than their HIV-negative peers. HPV infections are common in the general population and most people with strong immune systems will be free of them over time. However, women with weakened immune systems are less likely to clear the HPV virus and become more susceptible to developing pre-invasive lesions that can, if left untreated, quickly progress to invasive, life-threatening cancer.

Reducing preventable deaths from cervical cancer requires a comprehensive approach that delivers effective and age-appropriate programmes that include the vaccination of young adolescent girls against HPV, the screening of women at risk of developing cervical cancer, treatment of pre-cancerous cervical lesions and treatment for invasive and advanced cervical cancer, including chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

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, 5 January 2016—UNAIDS welcomes Filippo Grandi as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr Grandi took over as head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 1 January 2016, succeeding António Guterres, who left last week after more than 10 years in office.

Mr Grandi is from Italy and has worked in international affairs for the United Nations for close to 30 years. He is a former Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and was Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. He began his career in the nongovernmental organization sector and later worked with UNHCR in Africa, Asia and the Middle East and at the organization's Geneva headquarters.

“High Commissioner Grandi is taking up the helm at UNHCR at a particularly challenging time,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The global refugee crisis remains front page news due to long-term conflicts and ongoing persecution. The number of forcibly displaced persons has reached the highest level, 59.5 million people, since the Second World War. Mr Grandi brings a wealth of experience to this position. We look forward to close collaboration with him to promote the rights of refugees around the world and ensure equitable access to HIV and other essential health services.”

UNHCR works worldwide to protect, assist and find solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and stateless populations. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people. Since 1950, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives.

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 2015—UNAIDS strongly supports calls made by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) for additional resources for its next funding cycle. These resources will support country efforts in reaching the Fast-Track Targets to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Global Fund is asking governments, the private sector and other organizations for a total of US$ 13 billion for the period between 2017 and 2019, which would save millions of lives and avert hundreds of millions of infections and new cases of HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. The call was made at the Preparatory Meeting of the Global Fund Fifth Replenishment, held in Tokyo, Japan, on 16 and 17 December. A follow-up conference will take place in mid-2016 to finalize the Global Fund’s level of funding for the upcoming three-year period.

“We have to invest additional resources today to end these epidemics, otherwise the deadly trio will claim millions more lives, as well as costing us more in the long run,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé.

As a partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and people affected by the diseases, the Global Fund currently mobilizes and invests almost US$ 4 billion annually to support programmes managed locally in more than 100 countries. UNAIDS supports countries at all stages of the Global Fund grant cycle—from the collection and analysis of epidemiologic data and strategic information, to the development of strong HIV investment cases, national strategic plans and funding requests, to grant negotiations and signing, programme implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Although much progress has been made in responding to the epidemics, the dual impact of HIV and TB continues to be devastating for millions of people and their families. Of the 1.5 million people killed by TB in 2014, 400 000 were HIV-positive. AIDS-related illnesses claimed 1.2 million lives in 2014, which included the 400 000 TB deaths among HIV-positive people. Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, predominantly among young children.  

Ending AIDS by 2030 is a smart investment and will avert an estimated 21 million AIDS-related deaths and 28 million new HIV infections, including 5.9 million new HIV infections among children.  

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.

10 December 2015

The AIDS movement, led by people living with and affected by HIV, continues to inspire the world and offer a model for a people-centred, rights-based approach to global health and social transformation. And yet, today, amid a swirl of competing and complex global concerns, we confront a serious new obstacle: the oppressive weight of complacency. This is happening when we know that if we focus on the places and people most affected by HIV, the world can end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat.

This moment is, however, fleeting. We have a fragile window of opportunity in which to scale up. Efforts need to intensify in the locations and among the populations at higher risk of HIV, including women, young people, prisoners, sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people and people who inject drugs.

Too often, laws, policies and practices undermine equitable access to life-changing HIV services for people most affected by HIV. Punitive laws that hinder effective responses to HIV remain widespread. Some 75 countries criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations, and the vast majority of countries and territories criminalize drug use and sex work.

Ending AIDS by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals means breaking down prejudice, exclusion, criminalization and discrimination. This will require progress across the entire spectrum of rights: civil, cultural, economic, political, social, sexual and reproductive.

UNAIDS has launched a bold call to action to leave no one behind through the new UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy. It is a call to defend the rights of all people. Through the realization of their rights, people being left behind will move ahead, to the very forefront of the journey to end the AIDS epidemic—informed and empowered, mobilized and engaged.

On International Human Rights Day 2015, let us stand together to ensure that all people, living with or without HIV, are able to live their lives to the fullest, from birth to adulthood and into old age, free from discrimination and with dignity and equality.

Michel Sidibé

Executive Director of UNAIDS

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

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, 25 November 2015—On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, UNAIDS is urging countries to put women and girls at the centre of efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

AIDS is the leading cause of death of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) and adolescent girls and young women are most affected by HIV. Every year around 380 000 adolescent girls and young women become newly infected with HIV and in sub-Saharan Africa adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 years account for one in every four new HIV infections.

“AIDS-related deaths are increasing among adolescents and we are seeing increased violence against young women,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “Our call is to address the root cause—gender inequality, which can result in violence, lack of esteem, growing vulnerability and difficulty for young women and girls to make empowered and informed decisions about their health and well-being.”

In some regions, women who have experienced physical or sexual partner violence are 1.5 times more likely to acquire HIV compared to women who have not. While the experiences of violence faced by women living with HIV mirror those of women generally, living with HIV exposes women and girls to other forms of violence, including forced and coerced sterilization, because of their HIV-positive status.

The heightened vulnerability of women and girls to HIV is intricately linked to the sociocultural, economic and political inequalities they experience. Ending the AIDS epidemic will depend on a social justice agenda that demands equity in education, employment, political representation and access to justice and health, free from violence.  

At the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which is being held under the 2015 theme of “From peace in the home to peace in the world: make education safe for all,” UNAIDS is urging all countries to ensure the engagement and empowerment of women as a top priority to enable women and girls to live in a world free of inequalities and violence.

The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy, reflect a collective global commitment to achieve gender equality, eliminate gender-based violence and advance the rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and their empowerment. Significantly, they provide a bold blueprint for action. These goals and targets call for true collaboration across sectors and generations to scale up efforts to ensure the safety and empowerment of women and girls everywhere. 

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.

Zero discrimination and full engagement of key populations will be crucial to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030

HARARE/GENEVA, 30 November 2015—On the eve of World AIDS Day 2015, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, stressed the need to reach people most affected by HIV as he spoke at the opening of the Community Village at the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).  

Mr Sidibé joined hundreds of civil society members, people living with and affected by HIV and other participants at the official opening of the Community Village, where he also underlined the importance of engaging key populations in global, national and local responses to HIV.  

“Key populations are helping us to break the conspiracy of silence,” said Mr Sidibe. “I commend your courage and leadership for building an inclusive and effective response to HIV.”

The Community Village provides a space for grassroots and community-based organizations to present innovative, local responses to the AIDS epidemic and to share information on programmes that are working best among their communities.

“Being here is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with African key populations—sex workers, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women, trans-diverse persons, people who use drugs, people with disabilities and people living with HIV—in order to end AIDS,” said Regional Coordinator and Executive Director of the African Sex Workers Alliance, Daughtie Ogutu.

The knowledge shared in the Community Village is critical as the most marginalised in society continue to face the greatest challenges in accessing HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services. This is due in large part to persistent stigma and discrimination and other human rights violations, which are drastically increasing the vulnerability of key populations to HIV.

“Coming from a network of women living with HIV, this is a safe space to learn and share with fellow communities,” said Lilian Mworeko, Executive Director, International Community of Women Living with HIV East Africa. “It gives a voice to some of the issues and concerns we have and helps us find solutions.”

Ahead of the conference, UNAIDS joined representatives of key populations including people who inject drugs, gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people and people with disabilities who came together at a pre-conference meeting to discuss common challenges and approaches to advancing health and protection for their communities. The participants explored innovative programmes and solutions led by key populations to increase access to HIV services, monitor human rights violations, eliminate discrimination in health-care and other settings and create the leadership required for inclusive AIDS responses in Africa.

The 18th ICASA conference comes at a critical time in the response to HIV in Africa, as UNAIDS urges countries to Fast-Track their efforts over the next five years, focusing on the locations and populations most affected by HIV to end the AIDS epidemic 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.

New guidelines are a major step towards achieving UNAIDS Fast-Track Targets

GENEVA, 30 November 2015—UNAIDS has welcomed the release by the World Health Organization (WHO) of new guidelines on the use of antiretroviral medicines as a significant step towards improving the lives of people living with HIV and reducing the transmission of the virus.

The guidelines recommend that antiretroviral medicines be prescribed to people as soon as possible after their HIV diagnosis regardless of their CD4 count (CD4 is a measure of immune system health).The guidelines also recommend that people at higher risk of HIV infection be given access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as part of a combined HIV prevention strategy.

“These new guidelines and recommendations are a highly significant moment in the AIDS response,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The medicines and scientific tools now at our disposal provide us with a real opportunity to save millions of lives over the coming years and to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

The WHO guidelines, produced with the support of UNAIDS, are being released following the increased weight of research evidence that has emerged over the past 12 months. This included data from the international randomized clinical trials Temprano and START (Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment), which found compelling evidence of the benefits of immediately starting antiretroviral therapy. The data from Temprano and START followed a series of research findings over several years demonstrating the health benefits of starting HIV treatment earlier.

Several research studies among groups at higher risk of HIV infection have also indicated the significant efficacy of PrEP in reducing new HIV infections. The new guidelines recommend that PrEP be offered to anybody at substantial risk of HIV exposure.            

The guidelines will also help reinforce the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach, which encompasses a set of targets to be reached by 2020. The targets include 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status having access to treatment and 90% of people on treatment having suppressed viral loads. They also include reducing new HIV infections by 75% and achieving zero discrimination.

“We are at a crossroads in the response to AIDS,” said Mr Sidibé. “We know what works – now we need to put people first and fully respect their right to health.”

UNAIDS reaffirms the importance of respecting a person’s right to know their HIV status and to decide whether and when to begin antiretroviral therapy. HIV prevention and treatment decisions must be well-informed and voluntary. Wider and more equitable delivery of antiretroviral therapy and PrEP will require increased efforts to address the social and legal barriers that inhibit access to health services for people living with HIV and for key populations at higher risk of infection. 

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.

1 December 2015

The world has committed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. This ambitious yet wholly attainable objective represents an unparalleled opportunity to change the course of history for ever—something our generation must do for the generations to come.

Today, we live in fragile communities where inequities can persist when essential services don’t reach the people in need. To change this dynamic we must quicken the pace of action. We know that strengthening local services to reach key populations will lead to healthier and more resilient societies.

The good news is that we now have what it takes to break this epidemic and keep it from rebounding—to prevent substantially more new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths and to eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

Already we have reached 15.8 million people with life-saving treatment. And increasingly we are able to refine our efforts and be more precise in our ability to reach people who might otherwise be left behind. With this attention to location and population countries are able to redistribute opportunities to improve access.

On this World AIDS Day countries are implementing the UNAIDS Fast-Track Strategy, and together with front-loaded investments we can expect to close the gaps to essential services faster. This means resources can go further to reach more people with life-changing results.

With the Sustainable Development Goals, the world has entered a new era of innovation and integration. There is a greater understanding of how the global goals are interconnected and a better appreciation for moving forward together.  

Ending the AIDS epidemic means that adolescent girls and young women have access to education and appropriate HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. It means key populations, such as people who inject drugs and transgender people, have full access to health services delivered with dignity and respect. And it means that every child is born free from HIV, and that they and their mothers not only survive but thrive.

This is an exciting time in the AIDS response. We are building momentum towards a sustainable, equitable and healthy future for all. 

Michel Sidibé

Executive Director of UNAIDS

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations

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, 11 October 2015—On International Day of the Girl Child, UNAIDS is calling for the end to gender inequalities and the protection of the human rights of young women and girls everywhere. When young women and girls are empowered and have the freedom to make life-defining choices, it not only changes the course of their own lives but also those of their families, communities and societies.   

“Ending the AIDS epidemic is dependent on social justice, which demands equity in education, employment and health for both girls and boys,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals provide us with our greatest opportunity yet to do things differently for this generation. We must make the conscious decision to empower young women and girls to take control of their own health choices.”

Although there has been some progress in terms of gender parity in education and political representation, many challenges remain. Every day, around 41 000 girls are married before they reach the age of 18. Complications linked to pregnancy and childbirth remain the second leading cause of death among adolescent girls aged 15–19, and it has been estimated that around 120 million girls worldwide have experienced rape or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives.   

Gender-based violence and a lack of control over decisions affecting their own lives, including over key aspects of sexuality and reproduction, increase the risk of HIV infection among adolescent girls and young women. Around 350 000 adolescent girls and young women were newly infected with HIV in 2014. A study in South Africa found that young women who experienced intimate partner violence were 50% more likely to have acquired HIV than women who had not experienced violence.

The reasons for gender inequalities are intricately woven into the sociocultural, economic and political fabric of our societies and they stack the odds against girls from birth. Multisectoral responses are required to ensure equal access to education, including age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education, and to bolster social protection programmes. Also needed are integrated age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health services and the expansion of programmes to address gender-based violence. Innovative partnerships, such as Together for Girls, All In and DREAMS, will be crucial to highlight and respond to the specific needs of young women and girls.

Seizing the historic opportunity of the new Sustainable Development Goals, the global community must commit to policies and actions that protect, support and empower young women and girls. This is what will redefine the role of young women and girls, strengthening the AIDS response and making possible the end of the AIDS epidemic 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.

New guidelines are a major step towards achieving UNAIDS Fast-Track Targets

GENEVA, 30 September 2015—UNAIDS today welcomed the release by the World Health Organization (WHO) of new guidelines on the use of antiretroviral medicines as a significant step towards improving the lives of people living with HIV and reducing the transmission of the virus.

The guidelines recommend that antiretroviral medicines be prescribed to people as soon as possible after their HIV diagnosis regardless of their CD4 count (CD4 is a measure of immune system health).The guidelines also recommend that people at higher risk of HIV infection be given access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as part of a combined HIV prevention strategy.

“These new guidelines and recommendations are a highly significant moment in the AIDS response,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “The medicines and scientific tools now at our disposal provide us with a real opportunity to save millions of lives over the coming years and to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.”

The WHO guidelines, produced with the support of UNAIDS, are being released following the increased weight of research evidence that has emerged over the past 12 months. This included data from the international randomized clinical trials Temprano and START (Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment), which found compelling evidence of the benefits of immediately starting antiretroviral therapy. The data from Temprano and START followed a series of research findings over several years demonstrating the health benefits of starting HIV treatment earlier.

Several research studies among groups at higher risk of HIV infection have also indicated the significant efficacy of PrEP in reducing new HIV infections. The new guidelines recommend that PrEP be offered to anybody at substantial risk of HIV exposure.            

The guidelines will also help reinforce the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach, which encompasses a set of targets to be reached by 2020. The targets include 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status having access to treatment and 90% of people on treatment having suppressed viral loads. They also include reducing new HIV infections by 75% and achieving zero discrimination.

“We are at a crossroads in the response to AIDS,” said Mr Sidibé. “We know what works – now we need to put people first and fully respect their right to health.”

UNAIDS reaffirms the importance of respecting a person’s right to know their HIV status and to decide whether and when to begin antiretroviral therapy. HIV prevention and treatment decisions must be well-informed and voluntary. Wider and more equitable delivery of antiretroviral therapy and PrEP will require increased efforts to address the social and legal barriers that inhibit access to health services for people living with HIV and for marginalized populations at higher risk of infection.

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.