Closing the gap in HIV prevention and treatment

The number of people who are newly infected with HIV is continuing to decline in most parts of the world — a decline of 38% from 2001. Progress has been dramatic in stopping new HIV infections especially among children. AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 35% since 2005. The percentage of people living with HIV who are not receiving antiretroviral therapy has been reduced from 90% in 2006 to 63% in 2013.

These statistics are encouraging and renew our hope. Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and people who are being left behind.

In order to increase awareness on these issues, World AIDS Day 2014 will be observed on December 1. The UNAIDS’s focus for the 2014 campaign is closing gap in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.

Closing the gap means empowering and enabling all people, everywhere, to access the services they need.

• By closing the HIV testing gap, the 19 million people who are unaware of their HIV-positive status can begin to get support.

• By closing the treatment gap, all 35 million people living with HIV will have access to life-saving medicine.

• By closing the gap in access to medicines for children, all children living with HIV will be able to access treatment, not just the 24% who have access today.

• By closing the access gap, all people can be included as part of the solution.

The UNAIDS Gap report shows that that a lack of data on people most affected by HIV, coupled with widespread stigma and discrimination, punitive legal environments, barriers to civil society engagement and lack of investment in tailored programmes are holding back results. It confirms that countries that ignore discrimination and condone inequalities will not reach their full potential, and face serious public health and financial consequences of inaction. The report emphasises the need for equal access to quality HIV services as both a human rights and public health imperative.

The report outlines that to close the gap between people who are reached with HIV services and people who are not will require research and innovation combined with protective laws that promote freedom and equality for all people. It will also require increased commitment from the global community and countries most affected to the remarkable returns on investment that have been witnessed over the last 10 years to continue so that the end of the AIDS epidemic can be achieved by 2030.

Closing the gap on HIV treatment will bring enormous benefits in keeping people healthy and alive, and in reducing new infections. But closing the treatment gap alone will not be sufficient to end the AIDS epidemic. Experts recommend a parallel increased in prevention effort is required, including condom programming, harm reduction, voluntary medical male circumcision and continued focused on those groups who continue to experience high rates of infection and are not currently reached.

Source: UNAIDS