End inequalities. End AIDS.
HIV remains a major public health issue that affects millions of people worldwide, with more than 1.9 million people living with HIV in the Western Pacific Region. While the Region has made significant progress in treating people living with HIV, challenges remain in ensuring HIV services reach everyone, everywhere.
The World AIDS Day 2021 campaign, “End inequalities. End AIDS.” aims to highlight the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services, and focus on reaching people left behind.
Some important groups and populations in the Western Pacific are underserved and not being sufficiently reached by HIV testing, prevention, care and treatment services, including female and male sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who use drugs and prisoners. An estimated 7 out of 10 people living with HIV in the Western Pacific are men.
Everyone, irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background must have equitable access to HIV services.
Now, COVID-19 is exacerbating inequities and disruptions to services, making the lives of many people living with HIV more challenging. People living with HIV are at a high risk of COVID-19 complications and must have access to COVID-19 vaccinations and services.
On 1 December 2021, WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally to confront the inequalities that drive HIV and to reach people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services.
Key Messages:
- Re-commit to end HIV
Persistent inequalities and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic require a renewed effort to end HIV as a public health threat.
- Tackle HIV and COVID-19 together
We must confront the special challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic for people living with HIV.
- Focus on equality
We must ensure that everyone, everywhere has equal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, including COVID-19 vaccinations and services.
- Concentrate on those left behind
WHO recommends a renewed focus on countries and populations that have been left behind in the global response to HIV and AIDS. These include the diverse groups of people being marginalized in each country, including key populations, children and men, among others.