Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, a new report by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) highlights the critical role of human rights in ending the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030.
Titled “Take the rights path to end AIDS,” the report outlines how stigma, discrimination, and punitive laws hinder progress in the fight against HIV.
Despite significant advancements in HIV treatment and prevention, human rights violations continue to block access to essential services.
In 2023, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.3 million people acquired HIV.
The human rights challenge
Marginalised communities, including women, girls, and LGBTQ+ individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and others), remain disproportionately affected.
Sub-Saharan Africa illustrates this disparity starkly: every day, 570 young women aged 15 to 24 acquire HIV, a rate three times higher than their male peers.
Globally, 9.3 million people living with HIV are not receiving life-saving treatment.
“Discrimination and violence against girls must be tackled as a human rights and health emergency,” said Nomonde Ngema, a 21-year-old HIV activist.
Criminalisation obstructs progress
Punitive laws targeting marginalised communities exacerbate the crisis. In 2023, 63 countries still criminalised same-sex relationships.
HIV prevalence among gay men and other men who have sex with men is five times higher in these countries than in those where such laws do not exist.
“Punitive laws and policies keep vulnerable people away from the help they need to prevent HIV, test for HIV, and treat HIV,” said Axel Bautista, Community Engagement Manager at MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health & Rights.
“Instead of punishing marginalized communities, governments need to uphold their human rights,” he emphasised.
UNAIDS’ 2021 Political Declaration on Ending HIV/AIDS called for the removal of restrictive laws by 2025, but progress remains slow.
Bridging the innovation gap
Scientific breakthroughs, such as long-acting injectable medicines, offer hope but remain inaccessible to many due to high costs and limited production.
“Medical tools that save lives cannot be treated merely as commodities,” said Alexandra Calmy, HIV lead at the University Hospitals of Geneva.
“The revolutionary therapeutic and preventive options currently being developed must be made accessible without delay to achieve universal reach.”
The report calls for a human rights-centred approach to ensure equitable access to these life-saving innovations.
Voices of change
The UNAIDS report amplifies perspectives from global leaders, including British singer and songwriter Elton John, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and HIV activist Jeanne Gapiya-Niyonzima.
“As long as HIV is seen as a disease for the ‘others’, not so-called ‘decent people’, AIDS will not be beaten. Science, medicine and technology may be the ‘what’ in ending AIDS, but inclusion, empathy and compassion are the ‘how’,” wrote Elton John.
President Higgins echoed this sentiment: “Fulfilling the pledge to end AIDS as a public health threat is a political and financial choice. The time to choose the correct path is long overdue.”
A global call to action
As the world approaches the 2030 deadline, UNAIDS emphasises that ending AIDS is not just a health issue – it is a human rights mandate.
By addressing inequalities and ensuring equitable access to services, the international community can meet its shared goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
