HIV

Written By Albion East Ltd

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OVERVIEW

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, continues to be one of the world's most significant global health challenges, an enduring pandemic that has affected millions of people worldwide since its first cases were identified in the early 1980s. Despite remarkable progress in scientific understanding, prevention, and treatment, HIV/AIDS remains an unfinished battle that continues to claim futures and hinder global development.

As of 2023, approximately 39.9 million people globally were living with HIV, including 38.6 million adults and 1.4 million children, with women and girls accounting for 53% of those affected. In the same year, there were an estimated 1.3 million new HIV infections and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths. Since the epidemic's inception, a staggering 88.4 million people have become infected with HIV, and 42.3 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses.

The burden of HIV remains disproportionately concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounted for 25.6 million of the 39 million people living with HIV in 2022. This region alone accounts for one-third of the global burden of HIV infection. However, alarming trends indicate a resurgence in incidence rates in certain countries within Europe, North America, and South America, including Russia, Ukraine, Portugal, Brazil, Spain, and the United States, since 2010. Without concerted efforts there is a real risk of the epidemic rebounding.

Beyond individual health, the HIV epidemic significantly impacts households, communities, and the development and economic growth of nations, often exacerbating other challenges like infectious diseases and food insecurity in hardest-hit countries. For example, those with immune systems compromised by AIDS are the disproportionately vulnerable to diseases such as TB.

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV into a manageable chronic illness, allowing patients to live long and healthy lives, a cure remains elusive.

Key Challenges Impeding the Global Fight

  • Insufficient uptake of HIV testing, which is a critical gateway to care and prevention.

  • Limited access to prevention, care, and treatment services for many people with or at risk of HIV.

  • Persistent stigma and discrimination associated with HIV, which discourage individuals from seeking testing and treatment, and can lead to denial of healthcare. Sociocultural taboos also hinder effective sex education and awareness efforts.

  • Insufficient funding for HIV/AIDS programmes and research, leading to fewer scientific breakthroughs and slower development of new drugs and preventive measures.

A multifaceted approach that addresses these barriers is imperative to maintain momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

A full report coming soon will dive into the data, country success stories, and ideas for ways to help…

RESOURCES

Leading Organisations and Initiatives

There are many fantastic organisations working to combat HIV/AIDS. Here are some of our top picks:

  • Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): UNAIDS aims to lead and inspire the world to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. It defines key populations and sets global targets for the HIV response.

  • World Health Organisation (WHO): Provides guidelines for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care. WHO emphasises the importance of informed consent, confidentiality, and linkage to care for HIV testing It sets standards for data collection, analysis, and reporting for the health sector response to HIV and promotes policies based on medical ethics, human rights, and public health principles.

  • The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: A significant international financing institution that mobilises, pools, and distributes resources for health systems strengthening and universal access to health commodities for HIV, TB, and Malaria.

  • U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): A major bilateral program providing substantial international funding for HIV efforts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

  • UNITAID: An innovative financing mechanism that works to reduce prices of essential medicines and health products for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

  • Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): A non-profit providing information and analysis on health policy issues, including the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and donor government funding for HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

  • STOPAIDS: A UK-based HIV, health, and human rights advocacy network with a 35-year history of engagement on international development and HIV. It convenes and unites UK civil society voices to positively shape UK leadership in the global response to HIV and other health rights and equity issues.

  • The World Bank: The World Bank supports care, clinical management, and social support components in its HIV/AIDS projects and identifies opportunities for integrating mental health and psychosocial interventions into its AIDS agenda.

Further reading

Albion East Ltd https://www.albioneast.com
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