NEW YORK: United Nations Member States have committed to implementing a bold agenda to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 during a three-day United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in New York, United States of America. The progressive, new and actionable Political Declaration includes a set of specific, time-bound targets and actions that must be achieved by 2020 if the world is to get on the Fast-Track and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The high-level meeting was convened by the President of the General Assembly and co-facilitated by Switzerland and Zambia. At the opening, the President, Mogens Lykketoft, urged Member States to commit to action. “All stakeholders must now step up to the plate. Today is the day that we collectively say that we will end the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” said Mr Lykketoft. “We must pay greater attention to equality and inclusion, uphold human rights and speak out against stigma and discrimination.”
During the opening, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said that the AIDS response had been a “source of innovation and inspiration” as the Executive Director of UNAIDS outlined the progress made in recent years with 17 million people accessing antiretroviral treatment and significant declines in AIDS-related deaths and new HIV-infections, particularly among children. “For the first time in history we can say that in Africa there are more people on HIV treatment than there are new HIV infections,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “We the peoples made the commitment together and we delivered results together.” He also underlined the importance of inclusion saying, “the doors of the UN should be open to all.”
Among many of the civil society representatives who participated in and spoke at the meeting Loyce Maturu, a young woman living with HIV from Zimbabwe, shared her inspiring story during the opening plenary about growing up living with HIV. “I want young people living with HIV to be able to realize their dreams and hopes for the future,” she said. Eminent person, Ndaba Mandela, a grandson of Nelson Mandela spoke passionately about his own family’s experience of HIV and urged everyone present to stand together to end AIDS by 2030. “I’m here to ask you to continue the legacy of my grandfather, Nelson Mandela: a legacy of unity and leadership.” In addition to the plenary sessions, Heads of State and Government, ministers, people living with HIV, representatives of civil society, representatives of international organizations and the private sector, scientists and researchers took part in five official panels and more than thirty side-events to translate the new Political Declaration into action and results.
The five official panels were under the following themes: AIDS within the Sustainable Development Goals: leveraging the end of AIDS for social transformation and sustainable development; Financing and sustaining the end of AIDS: the window of opportunity; Getting ahead of the looming treatment crisis: an action agenda for getting to 90-90-90; Leaving no one behind: ending stigma and discrimination through social justice and inclusive societies; Leaving no one behind: ending stigma and discrimination through social justice and inclusive societies; Children, adolescent girls and young women: and preventing new HIV infections.
Participants called for strengthening outreach to young women and adolescent girls and key populations, including men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people and prisoners as well as migrants. During the High-Level Meeting, major announcements were made in support of ending the epidemic by 2030.
The United States of America announced the launch of a new $100 million Key Populations Investment Fund to increase access to HIV services for sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, transgender people and prisoners. The new fund will focus on reducing stigma and discrimination, empowering community leadership in design and delivery of services and increasing the quality of data on key populations.
Yusuf K.Hamied, chairman of the Indian pharmaceutical company, CIPLA, announced a package of assistance to African countries to facilitate local production of pharmaceuticals in Africa. UNAIDS and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) released a final report on the progress made since the Global Plan to stop new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive was launched at the last UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS in 2011.
There has been a 60% decline in new HIV infections among children since 2009 in the 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have been most affected by the epidemic. To build on the enormous progress made in stopping new HIV infections among children UNAIDS, PEFAR and partners released a framework for ending AIDS among children, adolescents and young women-Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS-Free. The initiative sets ambitious targets to eliminate new infections among children, ensure access to treatment for all children living with HIV and prevent new HIV infections among adolescents and young women to put the world on a path to ending AIDS among children.
Armenia, Belarus and Thailand joined Cuba in receiving official certificates of validation from the World Health Organization for eliminating new HIV infections among children. Thailand is the first country with a major HIV epidemic (450 000 people living with HIV in 2014) to receive such validation. Events were held on the wider health agenda including learning the lessons of responding to emerging epidemics such as AIDS, Ebola and Zika and empowering young girls and young women to access integrated health care services organized by the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS.
