Faltering AIDS battle risks 10-year setback from COVID-19, UN warns

 | 
07/06/2020

The global fight against AIDS was faltering even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this newly-emerged viral disease is now threatening to put progress against HIV back by 10 years or more, the United Nations said on Monday. “The global HIV targets set for 2020 will not be reached,” the U.N.’s AIDS agency said in a report. “Even the gains made could be lost and progress further stalled if we fail to act.” Latest data from 2019 show that 38 million people worldwide are now infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, the report said, a million more than in 2018. Some 25.4 million HIV positive people were on antiretroviral treatment in 2019 – a huge advance on a decade ago, but one that still leaves 12.6 million not getting medicines that can keep the virus at bay and prevent its spread. The report also found the world is far behind in preventing new HIV infections, with 1.7 million new HIV cases in 2019. “Every day in the next decade decisive action is needed to get the world back on track to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030,” said Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS’ executive director.

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 10/03/2024
10/02/2024
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has refused to sign into law a bill approved by parliament last month that rights groups and many opposition politicians …
Added on: 10/03/2024
10/02/2024
Kyrgyzstan’s government has proposed problematic amendments to the criminal code and other legislative acts that would restore criminal charges for the mere possession of …
Added on: 10/02/2024
10/02/2024
Cabrel Ngounou’s life in Cameroon quickly unraveled after neighbors caught the teenager with his boyfriend. A crowd surrounded his boyfriend’s house and beat him. …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 09/29/2024
A wide-ranging investigation by the Wall Street Journal has uncovered evidence linking Russian cash to an anti-LGBTQ+ U.S. activist who helped promote “Kill the …
Added on: 09/27/2024
The World Bank announced on Thursday new measures to ensure that recipients of fresh loans to Uganda will not face discrimination due to the …
Added on: 09/05/2024
Iran summoned Australia’s ambassador in Tehran over the publication of an Instagram post the government deemed “norm-breaking”, Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency reported on …