Gains in fight against HIV/Aids lost during Covid-19

Data from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that millions of lives are at risk globally as HIV/Aids progress faltered during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, UNAIDS cited Eastern Europe, central Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa having recorded an increase in new infections over the past few years.

The programme said progress in East and Southern Africa significantly slowed in 2021, meaning they won’t reach the needed target by 2025.

This data calls for urgent action to tackle the inequalities driving Aids infections and to curb millions of new infections globally.

“Globally the number of new infections dropped only 3.6% between 2020 and 2021, the smallest annual decline in new HIV infections since 2016,” said UNAIDS in a statement.

Executive director at UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, noted declines in HIV infections in West and Central Africa and in the Caribbean but said they lack resources to respond to infections.

“This data shows the global Aids response is in severe danger. If we are not making rapid progress then we are losing ground, as the pandemic thrives amidst Covid-19, mass displacement, and other crises. Let us remember the millions of preventable deaths we are trying to stop,” said Byanyima.

Byanyima said the new infections were mostly recorded by young women and adolescent girls, with a new infection every two minutes in this population in 2021. 

The data showed that in El Salvador, during the period of 2019 and 2021, HIV prevalence among homosexual men almost doubled and among transgender people it increased eight-fold.

Black people with more infections

“Racial inequalities are also exacerbating HIV risks. In the United Kingdom and United States of America, declines in new HIV diagnoses have been greater among white populations than among black people. 

The report also revealed that efforts to provide antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV were faltering.

About 10 million people do not have access to antiretroviral treatment, and only 52% of children living with HIV have access to treatment.

Aids deaths

Byanyima said about 650,000 Aids deaths were recorded despite having effective treatment and tools to detect opportunistic infections.

In South Africa:

• New HIV infections halved between 2010 and 2021;
• There were 210,000 new HIV infections in 2021, including 67,000 among adolescent girls and young women (15-24 years);
• There are 7.9 million people living with HIV (mid-2021). 
• There are 5.6 million people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral treatment (end 2021).
• Aids-related deaths reduced by 72% over the past decade but more must be done to reach its 2025 targets.

“These figures are about political will. Do we care about empowering and protecting our girls? Do we want to stop Aids deaths among children? Do we put saving lives ahead of criminalisation? If we do, then we must get the Aids response back on track,” added Byanyima. 

She also stated that the rise in new infections can be halted but it needs national and international solidarity.

“When international support has been most needed, global solidarity has stalled. Leaders must not mistake the huge red warning light for a stop sign. This must become a moment for a surge of international support,” she said.

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