Despite remarkable advances against HIV over the past two decades, “let us not confuse progress with success”, warned UNAIDS head Winnie Byanyima at the start of the United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV in New York on Monday.
Over 40 million people are living with HIV, yet “almost nine million people are still not on treatment, and last year 1.2 million people were newly infected,” said Byanyima, her address delivered to a sea of empty chairs – symptomatic of waning interest in responding to the virus.
- The UN has proposed “sunsetting” UNAIDS as part of the “UN80” cost-cutting in the face of a massive loss in funds. UNAIDS is fighting to remain, but as part of its transformation, it has already slashed staff by over 55%, including an 80% reduction in staff at its Geneva headquarters.
Meanwhile, HIV activists are campaigning for much broader access to the injectable lenacapavir, pressuring Gilead to allow generics and to reduce the price of the medicine.
DETAILED REPORT HERE – via Health Policy Watch https://healthpolicy-watch.news/progress-is-not-success-warns-unaids/
‘Progress is Not Success,’ Warns UNAIDS at Start of Poorly Attended UN High-Level Meeting on HIV
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