Adolescent girls and young women are still disproportionally affected by HIV. In eastern and southern Africa in 2017, 79% of new HIV infections among 10–19-year-olds were among females. An estimated 50 adolescent girls die every day from AIDS-related illnesses. And each day, some 460 adolescent girls become infected with HIV.

On Zero Discrimination Day this year, UNAIDS is highlighting the urgent need to take action against discriminatory laws.

In many countries, laws result in people being treated differently, excluded from essential services or being subject to undue restrictions on how they live their lives, simply because of who they are. Such laws are discriminatory—they deny human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

Ending discrimination and changing laws is the responsibility of us all. Everyone can play a part in ending discrimination and can try to make a difference, in ways both big and small. The Zero Discrimination Day 2019 campaign challenges people to act against laws that discriminate in their country. 

Ending AIDS is everybody’s business and will need collaboration between both the public sector and the private sector. Ending AIDS by 2030 needs effective action on: HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care, human rights Solutions-oriented approaches by the business community are required in each of these areas. This document is available in Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish and Japanese