AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV attacks and destroys CD4 cells – a type of white blood cell crucial to the body’s immune system. The virus replicates itself within these cells, severely damaging the human immune system to the point where it cannot fend off infections.
The disease spreads through contact with certain body fluids from an infected individual. Its transmission can occur through unprotected sex, shared use of contaminated needles, or from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding. Although the virus is incurable, affected individuals can manage their condition with proper treatments.
World AIDS Day is a global observance dedicated to raising awareness about AIDS and HIV. Every year, numerous initiatives take place worldwide to educate people about the status of AIDS both globally and nationally, and to highlight the ongoing challenges in combatting the disease.
The UNAIDS Report: “The Path That Ends AIDS”
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recently released a report titled “The Path That Ends AIDS.” The report reveals the progress made and the ongoing difficulties faced in the global fight against AIDS and HIV. It underlines the need for continued effort to ensure access to treatment, combat stigma and discrimination, and secure adequate funding.
Key findings of the report include that AIDS claimed a life every minute in 2022, and around 9.2 million people living with HIV lacked access to treatment. The report specifies that while progress against the disease has been made, it is uneven across regions and demographics. It also highlighted a funding gap, with only $20.8 billion available for HIV programs falling short of the required $29.3 billion by 2025.
Treatment Progress, Challenges and Global Targets
The UNAIDS report details that currently, nearly 30 million of the 39 million people living with HIV worldwide are receiving life-saving treatment. The annual increase in recipients has been around 1.6 million between 2020 and 2022. The goal is to have 35 million people under treatment by 2025.
However, the progress is slower in certain regions like Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, where only half of those affected by HIV are receiving treatment. Furthermore, gender discrimination continues to affect treatment rates, with men in several regions less likely to receive treatment compared to women.
Concerning children, the report mentioned that AIDS-related deaths among children had reduced by 64% from 2010 to 2022. However, almost 43% of the 1.5 million children living with HIV did not receive treatment.
Prevention Efforts and Funding Gaps
Women and girls accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting an urgent need for stronger prevention efforts. However, only about 42% of districts with high HIV incidence in this region have dedicated prevention programmes.
The funding available for HIV programmes in low- and middle-income countries is insufficient. Although funding increased in the early 2010s, it has since fallen back to 2013 levels.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and Its Vision
Since its establishment in 1996, UNAIDS has taken charge of the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, aligning it with the Sustainable Development Goals. Its vision is zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS operates on a principle of leaving no one behind.
India’s Approach to Tackling AIDS
India has taken significant steps to address the AIDS crisis. The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 mandates that both central and state governments should take measures to prevent the spread of HIV or AIDS.
The country has made Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) affordable and accessible to over 90% of people living with HIV globally. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2019 to enhance HIV/AIDS outreach and to reduce incidents of social stigma and discrimination.
Lastly, through initiatives like Project Sunrise launched in 2016, the government is actively tackling the rising HIV prevalence in India’s north-eastern states, particularly among people injecting drugs.