Head of UNAIDS unpacks the knock-on effects of 雷速体育_雷速体育直播
- Imraan Valodia
Greater urgency is needed in the response to pandemics, to end AIDS and to end COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened global inequities. The world’s poor have bore the brunt of national lockdowns and will struggle to recover and poorer countries have been unable to rollout comprehensive vaccination campaigns because of a grossly unequal distribution of vaccines. On top of this COVID-19 has also derailed progress against diseases that affect poor people. Imraan Valodia sat down for a conversation with Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Imraan Valodia: What impact has COVID-19 had on the fight against HIV in countries, particularly those in the global South, carrying the biggest burden of the disease and with significantly weaker healthcare systems?
Winnie Byanyima: Firstly, we must recognise the successes of the AIDS response. We have achieved what many once said was impossible. Of the 38 million people living with HIV, 27.5 million are accessing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. We have cut the rate of new HIV infections by more than half and averted 16.6 million deaths.
But let us be clear: fighting a pandemic with no cure and no vaccine is hard.
Hundreds of thousands are still dying of AIDS and 1.5 million people were newly infected last year. AIDS remains a crisis and COVID-19 is making it worse.
Even before COVID-19, we were off track in meeting the global AIDS targets and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us back even further. COVID-19 related restrictions have hurt the most vulnerable, including marginalised and stigmatised communities and has disrupted access to HIV services.
Since COVID-19 hit, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria estimate that the number of mothers receiving prevention of mother to child transmission services dropped by 4.5%, people reached with HIV prevention programmes declined by 11%, HIV testing declined by 22% and medical male circumcision to prevent HIV dropped by 27%.
In very high prevalence settings in Africa, it is estimated that the effects of COVID-19 could contribute to a 10% increase in HIV deaths over five years.
Amid unprecedented global disruptions, we must act urgently to prevent a resurgent global AIDS pandemic and to quickly recover our progress toward ending AIDS. To get fully back on track on HIV we absolutely have to get on top of COVID-19.
Imraan Valodia: COVID-19, like HIV, has deepened inequalities in society and disproportionately affected women while widening the long-existing gender pay gap. How do we begin to address this gender economic and inequality pandemic?
Winnie Byanyima: Both COVID-19 and HIV are feeding off inequalities: women whose rights are not respected; women who do not have economic security or access to the most basic health or education services. These are the people that pay the heaviest price of our inaction on inequality. They pay the price in insecurity, in poverty, in sickness, and too often in death.
Five in six African adolescents newly acquiring HIV are girls. The reason is power. Research shows that completion of secondary education reduces a girl’s risk of acquiring HIV by up to half, and by even more if this is complemented by a package of rights and services. Yet as countries struggle with the current fiscal challenges, education and girls’ empowerment are among sectors that are suffering the biggest budget cuts.
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