Investment in prevention and treatment could end AIDS by 2030, says UN

GENEVA: Eliminating AIDS by 2030 is possible if countries show the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the UN said Thursday bottom.

According to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS programme, an estimated 39 million people worldwide will be living with HIV in 2022. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated.

In a report released Thursday, UNAIDS said: “The solution lies in following the leadership of countries that have made strong political commitments to put their people first and invest in evidence-based HIV prevention and treatment programmes. There is,” he said.

The report said an effective response to HIV also includes efforts such as enacting non-discrimination legislation and strengthening local networks, among others. In many countries, people living with HIV and AIDS face stigma, discrimination and violence.

“The greatest progress has been made in countries and regions with the highest levels of financial investment, such as eastern and southern Africa, where new HIV infections have fallen by 57% since 2010,” the report said.

But he added that new cases are also rising sharply in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

“This trend is largely due to the lack of HIV prevention services for key marginalized populations and the barriers created by punitive laws and societal discrimination,” said the report.

According to UNAIDS, 1.3 million people were newly infected with HIV last year and 630,000 died from AIDS-related illnesses.