Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Health
Why in News?
Recently, At the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, UNAIDS warned that a 1.5 billion dollar cut in global HIV funding threatens decades of progress and the 2030 goal of ending AIDS.
Current Situation
- Progress – New HIV infections and AIDS‑related deaths at lowest levels in 30 years.
- Fragility – Funding cuts undermining prevention programmes, especially in sub‑Saharan Africa.
- Impact – Reduced access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, testing services.
- Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia are more than 50% decline in PrEP coverage (2024–25).
- Condom programme funding fell by 93% in one donor initiative.
- Domestic Efforts – Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, Brazil sustained/expanded prevention via local financing.
Uneven Progress
- Success Stories – 7 countries (Benin, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Nepal, Rwanda, Zimbabwe) reduced new infections by ≥ 78% since 2010, on track for 2030 target.
- Rising Infections – 21 countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Congo, Egypt, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Venezuela, Yemen, etc.) report increases.
Global Commitment – 2026 Political Declaration
- Adopted by 149 UN Member States.
- Targets for 2030 –
- 40 million people on life‑saving treatment.
- Reduce stigma, discrimination, gender inequality, punitive laws.
- 20 million people with access to antiretroviral prevention.
Antiretroviral prevention means using HIV medicines to stop people from getting or spreading the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Reference
Downtoearth | HIV
