Let’s step up HIV/Aids fight

December 1st marked the 25th anniversary of World Aids Day. On this day we come together as a global community update our understanding of the dynamics of the Aids epidemic and to recommit ourselves to halting and reversing its spread.There is much to celebrate: new HIV infections fell by 33 % between 2001 and 2012, Aids-related deaths have dropped by 30% since 2005, and life-saving antiretroviral treatment reached almost ten million people in 2012 – a forty fold increase since 2002.But, there are still worrying signals that some regions and countries are falling behind as evidenced in the UNAIDS World Aids Day Report for 2013. In response, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged “To create conditions for an Aids-free generation, we must step up efforts to stop new HIV infections among children and ensure access to treatment for all mothers living with HIV”60% of young people living with HIV globally are female. In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV prevalence among young women is more than twice as high as among young men. While Aids-related deaths have fallen globally over the last seven years, deaths among adolescents rose by 50% in the same period.Punitive laws, gender-based violence, stigma, and discrimination continue to obstruct progress on addressing HIV, particularly among population at risk including young people and women. In 2012, sixty percent of national governments reported the existence of discriminatory laws, regulations or policies which impede access to effective HIV prevention, treatment, and support services.In his message on World Aids Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged action on the issue of stigma and discrimination. “Now we must recommit to breaking the remaining barriers, including punitive laws and social exclusion, so we can reach all people who lack access to HIV treatment and services. I especially urge action to end the discrimination and violence against women which cause terrible harm and increase risk of HIV infection and death from Aids”.Against this background, we note with satisfaction the significant progress made in Rwanda Today, 94% of the Rwandan citizens living with HIV have access to Anti-Retroviral Treatment, with a concomitant drastic reduction in Aids-related deaths. Estimated new HIV infections have declined by more than 50% between 2001 and 2012. Rwanda has also shown leadership in reducing mother to child infections. Nearly 90% of the pregnant women living with HIV have been able to avoid passing the infection on to their new-born.This year Rwanda has chosen to celebrate this World Aids Day under the theme “The role of the leaders in the HIV Response”. His Excellency President Paul Kagame demonstrated his commitment by declaring that” Fighting HIV is a matter of social justice”. And the First Lady Jeannette Kagame dedicates a lot of her time to the Imbuto Foundation, where women and mothers living with HIV find medical and psychological support and training in income-generating activities.The Ministry of Health declared to target to 700,000 men to undergo non-surgical male circumcision by 2016 as it has been proven that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection by 60%. Good governance and smart leadership in the HIV response by Rwandan leaders is exemplary. In recognition, the Global Fund for AIDS,TB and Malaria, an important funder of HIV & Aids, recently decided to allocate their funds directly to the budget to reduce bottlenecks and bureaucracy.In the coming five years, One UN Rwanda will continue to support and collaborate with the Government of Rwanda to promote an effective utilization of HIV prevention services and sexual and reproductive health services as primary prevention strategy as well as to promote gender equality, human rights principles and equitable access to services for vulnerable groups and people living with HIV.The path to a generation free of new infections can become a reality if we all work together. There is still much to do. If we want a future free of Aids we need to target new groups at risk and we will need continued investment, commitment and innovation to reach the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero Aids-related deaths. Following this World Aids Day, let us resolve to step up our efforts to eliminate Aids.Auke LOOTSMA is Country Director United Nations Development Programme