The UNAIDS report highlights the global struggle against HIV/AIDS, highlighting inconsistent progress and the need for sustained investments and rights-based strategies. With over 31 million people living with HIV globally, the report warns that without these efforts, the gains could be reversed. It calls for increased domestic funding and protection of access to information and services.
UNAIDS country director Jacqueline Makhorka emphasized the importance of women and girls’ rights, equitable education, and comprehensive sexuality education. She emphasized the need to end stigma and promote human rights. Uganda Cares Country Programme Director Henry Magala emphasized the need for empowering youth as advocates, stating that only 40% of young people have access to comprehensive HIV information.
Magala advocated for increased education, protective measures, and expanded access to SRHR services, particularly for transactional sex, to combat HIV infections. He proposed targeted interventions, including economic opportunities, to address vulnerabilities in young HIV-positive individuals.
Local challenges and opportunities
World AIDS Day celebrations in Buyende District, Eastern Uganda, will address unique challenges like high gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, limited access to health services, and unreachable testing services for rural communities.
The District Chairperson emphasized the significance of data-driven action for targeted interventions, while Dr. Ruth Senyonyi, chairperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission Board, emphasized the need to engage men in testing and accelerate ART enrollment for 95% viral suppression, and to eliminate mother-to-child transmission for an AIDS-free generation.
The UNAIDS report reveals that HIV/AIDS progress is fragile, requiring collective action, rights-based interventions, and commitment from governments, civil society, and individuals. Empowering young people through education, health services, and opportunities is crucial for overcoming the crisis.
