‘Tear down inequalities’ to end COVID pandemic: UNAIDS

According to the UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2021, people surviving with HIV are astatine a higher hazard of terrible COVID-19 unwellness and death, yet the immense bulk are denied entree to life-saving vaccines.  

Although cardinal populations and their intersexual partners relationship for 65 per cent of caller HIV infections, they are mostly near retired of some HIV and COVID-19 responses, including 800,000 children surviving with HIV. 

“We are 40 years into the combat against HIV. Both the successes and the failures person taught america that we cannot hole for oregon decision a pandemic unless we teardrop down inequalities, beforehand people-centred, rights-based approaches and enactment unneurotic with communities to scope everyone successful need”, said UNAIDS chief Winnie Byanyima. 

Startling statistics 

Studies from England and South Africa person recovered that the hazard of dying from COVID-19 among radical surviving with HIV is double that of the wide population.  

In sub-Saharan Africa, location to 67 per cent people surviving with HIV, little than three per cent have received even one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to date.  

At the aforesaid time, HIV prevention and attraction services are eluding cardinal populations, arsenic good arsenic children and adolescents. 

“We person failed to larn the lessons of HIV, erstwhile millions were denied life-saving medicines and died due to the fact that of inequalities successful access”, said Ms. Byanyima.  

Global South ‘in crisis’ 

As affluent countries and corporations clasp connected tightly to the lucrative monopoly of producing and delivering COVID-19 supplies, millions of lives successful the processing satellite are in the balance, owed to deficiency of access. 

This is severely impacting the satellite arsenic wellness systems successful processing countries go overwhelmed, specified arsenic successful Uganda, wherever shot stadiums are being turned into makeshift hospitals. 

“Rich countries successful Europe are preparing to bask the summertime arsenic their populations person casual entree to COVID-19 vaccines, portion the planetary South is successful crisis”, said Ms. Byamyima. 

Key populations 

The caller UNAIDS report illustrates how COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions person severely disrupted HIV testing, with galore countries showing steep drops successful HIV diagnoses, referrals to attraction services and HIV attraction initiations. 

Some 1.5 cardinal caller HIV infections recorded past year were predominantly among transgender women, enactment workers, gay men, intravenous drug users and their sexual partners – key populations that account for 65 per cent of the world’s infections.  

These populations also accounted for 93 per cent of caller HIV infections outside sub-Saharan Africa, and 35 percent within.  

However, in astir countries they stay marginalized and largely unable to access HIV services. 

Billionaires are sailing their yachts successful the aforesaid Mediterranean waters that migrants are drowning successful – UNAIDS chief 

Children much vulnerable 

While HIV investigating and attraction have been scaled up massively implicit the past 20 years, service gaps remain much larger for children than for adults, according to the report.  

Last year, attraction sum was 74 per cent for adults but conscionable 54 per cent for children – leaving some 800,000 in the lurch.  

Moreover, galore children were not tested for HIV astatine commencement and stay unaware of their HIV status, making it hard to find and attraction for them.  

“This is wholly unacceptable”, said the apical UNAIDS official. 

Poor astatine backmost of line 

Poverty and deficiency of schooling are besides formidable barriers to wellness and HIV services.  

The study shows however household readying services for women and voluntary aesculapian antheral circumcision for men and boys, are overmuch little apt to beryllium accessed by radical surviving successful poverty. 

They are also a operator of migration, which severely impacts access to HIV services and puts lives successful information arsenic migrants fly struggle and poorness in search of information and economical security. 

“Billionaires are sailing their yachts successful the aforesaid Mediterranean waters that migrants are drowning in”, said the UNAIDS chief. “How tin we basal by and fto this beryllium the “new normal”. 

© UNICEF/Zar Mon

UNICEF is helping rise awarness of HIV and AIDS successful Myanmar.