Statement by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS-UNAIDS as the world marks World AIDS Day 2023 today. World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who’ve died of the disease. This year’s theme is “let communities lead”.
The world can end AIDS, with communities leading the way. Organizations of communities living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV are the frontline of progress in the HIV response. Communities connect people with person-centred public health services, build trust, innovate, monitor implementation of policies and services, and hold providers accountable. But communities are being held back in their leadership. Funding shortages, policy and regulatory hurdles, capacity constraints, and crackdowns on civil society and on the human rights of marginalized communities, are obstructing the progress of HIV prevention and treatment services. If these obstacles are removed, community-led organizations can add even greater impetus to the global HIV response, advancing progress towards the end of AIDS.
This World AIDS Day is more than a celebration of the achievements of communities; it is a call to action to enable and support communities in their leadership roles. World AIDS Day 2023 highlights that to unleash the full potential of community leadership to enable the end of AIDS.
Communities’ leadership roles need to be made core in all HIV plans and programmes and in their formulation, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. “Nothing about us without us.”
Communities’ leadership roles need to be fully and reliably funded to enable the required scale up,and be properly supported and remunerated. “Not ending AIDS is more expensive than ending it.”
Barriers to communities’ leadership roles need to be removed. An enabling regulatory environment is needed which facilitates communities’ role in provision of HIV services, ensures civil society space, and protects the human rights of all, including of marginalized communities, to advance the global HIV response. “Remove laws that harm, create laws that empower.”
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Communities are leading World AIDS Day, and across the world are shaping the events and tailoring the detailed calls to their specific needs. Through photos and videos shared by groups on social media and aggregated by UNAIDS, people will be able to witness the kaleidoscope of events taking place, be inspired by the determination and hope, and hear communities’ calls for action.
The messages shared are similar to the concept as used in The Path That Ends AIDS, with important shifts including that to highlight communities’ leadership role the angle has moved from looking from above people to looking up at them, and more face on. Materials are tailorable by countries and communities.
Because change depends not on a moment but on a movement, the message or 2023 theme “Let Communities Lead” will not only ring out on one day. World AIDS Day messages will continue to echo throughout December and beyond.
“The end of AIDS is possible, it is within our grasp” says UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “To follow the path that ends AIDS, the world needs to let communities lead.”
HIV/AIDS IN UGANDA: HIV-1 infection, initially described as “slim disease”, was first recognized in Uganda in 1982, and is now a predominant health problem. Approximately 1.5 million Ugandans are now infected, largely through heterosexual transmission. In many areas half of adult deaths are now caused by HIV.
Currently, about 1.5 million Ugandans have HIV infection, acquired mainly via heterosexual transmission; about 10% acquired HIV infection via the mother-child transmission route. The mother-child HIV transmission rate still at 26%. 400,000-450,000 Ugandans have died from HIV/AIDS since 1982. Ministry of Health statistics indicate that the HIV prevalence among adults (15-49 years) in Uganda is 5.4%. The prevalence is higher among females. There has been a drastic reduction in the number of new HIV infections between 2010 and 2020. The map shows HIV prevalence across the districts. The prevalence of HIV among children aged 0-14 is 0.5% which corresponds to approximately 95,000 children living with HIV in Uganda. The prevalence of VLS among all HIV-positive adults aged 15 to 64 in Uganda is 59.6%: 62.9% among females and 53.6% among males. The prevalence of VLS in children aged 0-14 is 39.3%.
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ALSO READ – Chris Nahabwe, the Mbarara district HIV/AIDS focal person has confirmed that most new infections were registered in teenage females and older men.
https://x.com/RiseNewsUganda/status/1721583972847677754?s=20
https://x.com/Winnie_Byanyima/status/1729152418250998226?s=20
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