FTwenty years after the first AIDS case was discovered, the global goal of eliminating AIDS has not yet been achieved. In 2020, nearly 700,000 people will die from AIDS-related diseases, and 1.5 million people will be newly infected with HIV.
Although scientific and medical advances have been made in the testing, treatment and care of HIV-infected persons.
Part of the reason is that people affected by HIV know it very well: discrimination. The response to this virus has long been hampered by stigmatization, and it continues to disproportionately affect key groups-men who have sex with men; sex workers; transgender people; people who inject drugs and prisoners.According to UNAIDS, these communities account for 93% of new HIV infections Outside of sub-Saharan Africa.
Society, state, and symbolic discrimination and violence play a huge role in preventing people in these groups from accessing care and prevention services. In some countries, taking preventive tools (whether sterile syringes or condoms) with you can lead to arrests, making it difficult to protect yourself from HIV infection.
When homophobia is spreading in your society, it is difficult to talk to your doctor about sexual safety or getting antiretroviral treatment. Discrimination is directly related to stigma. They complement each other and become a catalyst for transmission.
Punitive laws that violate human rights also continue to hinder progress.
Criminalizing certain behaviors and jobs — such as drug use, non-disclosure of HIV status, and sex work — violates the rights and freedoms of key populations and their ability to access justice and health services. Usually, this is the result of the prejudice of law enforcement officials.
Russia is an example, showing that resistance to human rights, freedom and personal autonomy has also hindered the fight against HIV and AIDS. In June, at the last UN high-level meeting on HIV and AIDS, Russia submitted an amendment to the final declaration, deleting any references to human rights, decriminalization of sex work, or harm reduction related to injecting drugs , Claiming that this is Insult to family values.
How can we not link these views to the worrying progress of the HIV epidemic? Russia? Russian government estimates indicate that between 2006 and 2015, new HIV infections increased by 10% to 15% each year. This trajectory has resulted in extremely high prevalence rates in key populations (including an estimated 1.8 million injecting drug users) and the general population with prevalence rates exceeding 1%. As in other countries where homosexuality is suppressed by society, there is reason to believe that these estimates are very conservative, because the impact of homophobia reduces estimates of the size and incidence of certain populations.
In addition to eliminating stigma, discrimination, and criminalization, countries also need to consider how funds are allocated. According to the Dutch organization Aidsfonds, Programs targeting key and highest-risk groups in low- and middle-income countries received only 2% of HIV funding.
However, marginalized people have long proven their ability to implement innovative solutions to protect fellow human beings in the face of pandemics, whether it is AIDS or Covid-19. Community-led responses that respect human rights in the local context are very effective. For example, peer testing is very effective for reaching people furthest from the health system.
Cheick Hamala Sidibé, Human Rights Officer of Arcad Santé Plus, stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic, community-led initiatives by health workers Mali – Meeting with family members to provide HIV testing, distributing prevention kits, and providing antiretroviral treatment – to prompt the government to improve its policies.
In Morocco, one third of people who tested positive for HIV in 2019 were screened by ACLS community health workers-ACLS members are Union Plus, An international network to fight AIDS and hepatitis-although it only uses 10% of the kits available in the country. In Ecuador, another Coalition Plus member Kimirina tested 900 HIV-positive people out of 40,000 tests—almost six times the test rate of the public health system.
new Global Fund The strategy to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria puts communities at the forefront and center of the struggle. Based on the proven impact of the fund, the government must increase donations next year to speed up community-led response.
The community is always on the front line, and sustainable funding of interventions designed and implemented for key populations will greatly help to get the global HIV response on track.
Supporting this must be a strong commitment to human rights; political pressure to repeal punitive laws and enforce laws to protect people from violence. In this way, we can overcome discrimination and end AIDS in 40 years.
Hakima Simic Is the founder ALCS In Morocco and hosted an international network Union Plus Since 2012.
Mike Podmore Is a director SecondBall AID card, A UK network of 70 organizations, and a Steering committee member exist action For the world healthy U.K with Global Fund Advocates Network.
