United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for renewed political commitment and global cooperation to accelerate efforts to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Addressing the Opening Plenary of the High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS through a statement delivered by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Guterres said the gathering was an opportunity to identify solutions and strengthen the political will needed to complete the global fight against HIV.
“This is a meeting that is taking place to find solutions, and once again summon the political will to accelerate and finish the global HIV fight,” the statement said.
Reflecting on the 45 years since the first reported case of AIDS, Guterres said the international community had demonstrated remarkable solidarity and determination in responding to the epidemic.
He noted that strong political commitment by governments and sustained investments from global partners had helped reduce AIDS-related deaths by 70 per cent from their peak in 2004 and by 54 per cent since 2010.
According to the UN chief, expanded HIV prevention and treatment services have contributed to a 40 per cent decline in new infections since 2010. More than 32 million people living with HIV are now receiving life-saving antiretroviral therapy.
Despite the progress, Guterres cautioned that the epidemic remains a major global challenge.
“AIDS is not over,” he said, noting that 9.2 million people who required HIV treatment were still without access to it at the end of 2024.
To accelerate progress, Guterres outlined five key priorities: closing gaps in access to prevention, treatment and care services; ensuring continued community leadership in the HIV response; protecting human rights; securing sustainable financing; and revitalising the multilateral cooperation that has underpinned global HIV efforts.
“The HIV response has shown that solidarity across borders and sectors can overcome fear, inequality and injustice. And it has proven that global, regional and local institutions are all essential to deliver together,” he said.
Describing the meeting as an opportunity to reaffirm commitment to science, human dignity, solidarity and shared responsibility, Guterres stressed that ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 requires collective action.
“The responsibility to end AIDS as a public threat by 2030 belongs to each and every one of us,” he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
