This is the fourth annual report of the Global Plan, and it summarizes the progress made through December 2014. The final accountability report of the Global Plan will be issued in 2016 when data for the end of 2015 will be available. The Global Plan was developed during 2010 by a Global Task Team (GTT) co-chaired by UNAIDS and the Government of the United States. The GTT consisted of a consortium of stakeholders from 25 countries and 30 civil society groups, private sector partners, networks of people living with HIV and international organizations. The Global Plan was launched as a major new global initiative in 2011, but it uses 2009 as the baseline year against which to measure progress.

Ending AIDS by 2030 is an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals, which United Nations Member States adopted unanimously in 2015. The lessons learned in responding to HIV will play an instrumental role in the success in achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals, notably Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and well-being, and the goals on gender equality and women’s empowerment, reduced inequalities, global partnerships and just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

Launched only a year ago, Fast-Track cities has rapidly taken root and grown. This is the first annual update on progress in implementing the Fast-Track cities approach and it supports one of the seven key commitments contained in the Paris Declaration. This report reflects on the actions taken by cities and by the four core partners— the city of Paris, UNAIDS, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)—towards ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. Future reports will illustrate good practices and quantifiable evidence of progress that will inspire and inform Fast-Track cities and the many stakeholders helping to confront AIDS as a health and development challenge.

Implementing PrEP poses new challenges in planning, managing and funding combination prevention. Realizing the promise of PrEP will require governments, funders, civil society and other stakeholders to join forces to systematically address them–licensing antiretroviral medicines for PrEP use, setting priorities for locations and populations for implementation, making services user-friendly and ensuring adherence. These efforts are worthwhile based on their contribution to achieving the global targets of less than 500 000 people annually acquiring HIV in 2020 and the end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

To end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, specific—yet flexible—strategies are needed for different age groups, populations and geographical locations. Ending the epidemic among adolescents requires amplifying investments where they can make the most difference and fostering innovation by adolescents and youth themselves, as well as governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector.

There are still considerable inequities among the regions in terms of progress and challenges. The Special Envoys have concluded that everything they do must be sustainable and focused on closing the remaining gaps while also addressing the social and structural determinants of health. This is why it is essential to integrate efforts to end the AIDS epidemic throughout the sustainable development goals. The lessons learned and resources marshalled through more than three decades of the AIDS response can inform and empower the post-2015 development agenda to measurably improve the lives and health of people for generations to come.

Achieving the Fast-Track milestones by 2020 will put the world on a trajectory to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The gains will be massive. UNAIDS calculations show that reaching the 2020 milestones will produce multiple major benefits compared to maintaining the current approach.