The theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is “END INEQUALITIES. END AIDS”.
HIV remains a major public health issue that affects millions of people worldwide.
Although the world has made significant progress in recent decades, important global targets for 2020 were not met.
Division, disparity and disregard for human rights are among the failures that allowed HIV to become and remain a global health crisis. Now, COVID-19 is exacerbating inequities and disruptions to services, making the lives of many people living with HIV more challenging.
The theme of World AIDS Day 2021 is “End inequalities. End AIDS”. With a special focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners are highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services.
On 1 December 2021, WHO is calling on global leaders and citizens to rally to confront the inequalities that drive AIDS and to reach people who are currently not receiving essential HIV services.
WHO’s Director-General’s message
KEY MESSAGES
We face an AIDS emergency.
We can’t afford not to act. Unless leaders take bold action to end the inequalities driving AIDS, we face millions more deaths.
If the transformative measures needed on AIDS are not taken, the world will also stay trapped in the Covid crisis and be dangerously unprepared for the pandemics to come.
We can still end AIDS by 2030, but only if we act courageously and together to take on inequalities.
We know what works from seeing brilliant responses in some places – but we need to apply that everywhere for everyone.
We have an effective strategy that leaders agreed this year at the UN – but it needs to be implemented in full.
The transformative approach that we need to end AIDS will also protect the world against future pandemics.
The measures needed to tackle inequalities include:
Community-led and people-centred infrastructure
Equitable access to medicines, vaccines and health technologies
Human rights, to build trust and tackle pandemics
Elevating essential workers, and providing them with the resources and tools they need
People-centred data systems that highlight inequalities
We have reached a fork in the road. The choice for leaders to make is between bold action and half-measures. The data is clear: it is being too gradual that is the unaffordable choice.
Every minute that passes, we are losing a precious life to AIDS. We don’t have time.
End inequalities. End AIDS. End pandemics.
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Sources: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-aids-day/world-aids-day-2021
https://www.unaids.org/en/2021-world-aids-day
