World leaders calls for global actions to end HIV/AIDS by 2030

World leaders have called for collective actions around the world to sustain and accelerate the great progress made toward ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

In a separate statement to celebrate the World AIDS Day on December 1, the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken joined the President, Joe Biden and the Vice, Kamala Harris to call for this action.

He said, “Over the past four years, the State Department has worked tirelessly to save lives through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
“In partnership with foreign governments, PEPFAR has changed the trajectory of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and now supports more than 20million people on lifesaving treatment across 55 countries around the world”.

Blinken added, “Independent analyses have documented a direct link of this lifesaving work to economic growth across PEPFAR partner countries.

“Bipartisan action on a clean, five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR is essential to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat and to implementing the program’s plans to sustain success over the long term through partner country and community-led and managed programs”.
The Secretary noted that World AIDS Day is a day to remember the more than 42 million lives lost to HIV/AIDS which he said its a stark reminder of threat the virus continues to pose.

“If we do not ensure that partner countries have the vision and capacity to sustain a bold response. We must continue to chart a course together that will help communities stay safe and prosperous by ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat”, he said.

In another statement to celebrate this AIDS Day, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau said, “Millions of people around the world still lack access to life-saving HIV treatment, but through our work with international partners, Canada is helping change that”.

According to him, “Every day, estimated five Canadians contract HIV. While breakthrough in medical research now help people living with HIV live long and healthy lives, stigma surrounding HIV remains.
“No Canadian should have to feel alone in this fight. To meet our 2025 targets for HIV testing and treatment, we building culturally safe access to prevention, testing, treatment, and care for everyone in Canada, including those from 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous, and Afro-Caribbean communities.

“This year, we launched the Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections Action Plan 2024-2030 to help accelerate the end of HIV as a public health concern”.

Trudeau added that, “Through our support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, hundreds of millions of people have been tested for HIV, and tens of millions have received antiretroviral treatment.

“Our work is far from over, but through valued partnerships with organizations such as UNAIDS, we can build on this progress and save millions of lives”, the Canadian Prime Minister stated.