Dear colleagues and partners,
As we enter 2020, I would like to express our appreciation for your partnership, collaboration and support to our work at WHO over the past decade. It has been an era of astounding scientific developments, breakthroughs, followed by astonishing programme results in countries, saving and transforming millions of lives and livelihoods across the world.
As we look ahead, the next decade is going to be the most critical time for us in attaining the final goal and the promise we made to our future generations—to eliminate HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections as public health threats and achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
Let us look together at ten most memorable moments we saw in our work in 2010-2019. We thank everyone who contributed to make these, and many other achievements happen, and hope these will bring renewed energy, inspiration and commitment for all of us for the next decade.
Warm regards,
Dr Andrew Ball
Director a.i. Department of HIV, Hepatitis, STIs
World Health Organization
At the dawn of the decade in 2011-2012, WHO alerted the world on the need for increased attention and political will to address high HIV risk and rates among key population groups such as men who have sex with men, people in prisons, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender people. WHO released specific guidelines on this 2014 and 2016. In 2018, key populations and their partners were accounting for 52% of new HIV infections globally, and 75%, outside Africa. Vulnerable populations such as young girls, adolescents, and migrants in some regions also require attention. The focus on key populations remains a neglected priority for the next decade of action. Whether the world succeeds in overcoming criminalization of certain risk groups or marginalization within social services, could become a deciding factor in ending AIDS.
Access our latest guidance on HIV and key populations