On 1 December 2015, the world is observing World AIDS Day to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. The theme for this year’s commemoration is: “On the Fast-Track to end AIDS”. Fast-tracking the AIDS response provides an opportunity to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic with nearly 26 million people living with the infection and nine out of ten of all children living with HIV/AIDS in the world found in the region. In addition, 1.4 million individuals get infected with the disease every year and there were almost 800,000 deaths due to HIV in 2014 alone.
It is encouraging that we have reached a defining moment in the HIV/AIDS response as a result of the remarkable progress in the scale up of prevention, treatment and care interventions for HIV in the African Region. The region has achieved the Millennium Development Goal 6 of halting and reversing the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 2014, close to 11 million people were receiving lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. This has led to the number of AIDS related deaths reducing by nearly a half since 2005. New infections have also reduced by 41% in the last 15 years, more than in any region in the world.
These achievements have been made possible by the shared responsibility and solidarity of African governments and many partners through significant financial investment in the HIV/AIDS response. Drugs and commodities have been made more accessible in all countries, innovative ways of delivering services have been expanded, activism has promoted visibility of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and, crucially, people living with HIV have been at the forefront of the response.
However, we still have to fill major gaps in the response. Stigma, discrimination and punitive laws are persisting in our region. Children, young people, adolescents and key populations are still being left behind. Only 43% of people needing anti-retroviral treatment have access while only 52% of people living with HIV know their status. The target is to ensure that in the next five years, 90% of people living with HIV know their status, 90% of people diagnosed with HIV are offered antiretroviral therapy and ensure that 90% of people living with HIV on treatment achieve viral load suppression.
We now need to systematically close all the gaps in the fight against AIDS and decisively take innovative steps to achieve the bold targets that have been set to fast-track the AIDS response.
New WHO recommendations will help achieve these targets. They include using innovative HIV testing methods, ways to offer treatment to all people living with HIV and enhancing prevention.
As we commemorate World AIDS Day, I call on all countries and partners to sustain and strengthen the solidarity towards the fight against HIV/AIDS in the African Region. This means continued investment in the response; focusing on locations, populations and programmes that deliver the greatest impact; and delivering results that leave no one behind.