The UN Says Africa Off Course To HIV Goals
African countries are not on track to achieve a global target of ending HIV-related deaths by 2030, according to a new UN report.
The UN report to mark World Aids Day on Thursday highlights the differences in the way that men and women are treated as well as punitive laws as the main barriers to reaching the goal.
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The UN aims to ensure that:
- 90% of people living with HIV know their status.
- 90% of those diagnosed are on treatment.
- And 90% of those taking HIV drugs have achieved viral suppression – a state where the virus becomes undetectable thus preventing transmission.
UN AIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima told journalists in Tanzania that African countries need to combine sexual reproductive health services, gender-based violence and HIV services in a such a way that they are tailored to meet the needs of the women and girls in different settings.
Ms Byanyima also called on governments to drop sections of their laws that have been cited by as stumbling blocks in preventing new infections.
