UNAIDS to reduce AIDS-related deaths to 250,000 by 2025 – Report
UNAIDS to reduce AIDS-related deaths to 250,000 by 2025 - Report Premium Times
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Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Sets Targets for People Who Inject Drugs
As part of efforts to end AIDS as a public threat, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set specific targets by 2025 concerning people who inject drugs.
UNAIDS, under its Global AIDS Strategy 2021/2026, sets an overall target to reduce annual AIDS-related deaths to fewer than 250,000 by 2025.
This information was revealed in a new report by UNAIDS titled: “Global AIDS Targets 2025 for People Who Use Drugs,” which highlights that people who inject drugs were still being left behind in the HIV response based on available data from 2014.
According to the report, as of 2022, the global median HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs was 5 per cent across 50 reporting countries. This is seven times higher than among the rest of the adult population aged 15 to 49.
Effects of Criminalising Drug Use
The report emphasizes that in 2022, 630,000 deaths were AIDS-related, while nearly half a million people died from drug-related causes in 2019, with 15 per cent attributed to HIV.
The report also highlights that at least 145 countries have criminalised the possession of small amounts of drugs, 47 countries implement compulsory detention, and 34 countries retain the death penalty for drug offences.
UNAIDS states that despite the criminalisation of drugs for personal use in 143 countries, many drug users remain invisible, with little data on access to services or experiences of stigma, discrimination, or violence. This lack of information makes it difficult to plan and implement programmes to monitor their progress.
Other Factors and Prevention
The report observes that stigmatisation and discrimination towards drug users have contributed to their hiding.
In eight of the 14 countries that recently reported data to UNAIDS, more than 10 per cent of people who inject drugs avoided accessing healthcare services due to stigma and discrimination in the past 12 months.
The report reveals that only 37 per cent of people who inject drugs received at least two HIV prevention services in the past three months from the reporting states.
Furthermore, the report discloses that more than 50 per cent of people who are opioid dependent have access to Opioid Agonist Maintenance Therapy (OAMT), while 90 per cent of people who inject drugs have access to comprehensive harm reduction services linked to hepatitis C, HIV, and mental health services.
Recommendations
UNAIDS notes that to achieve the Global AIDS Strategy 2021-2026, there must be a change in public health approach for drug users.
The report outlines specific strategies needed, which are aligned with WHO’s evidence-based and prioritised package of interventions for people who inject drugs.
These strategies include specific targets for people who inject drugs concerning prevention, testing, and treatment, as well as societal enablers and community-led responses.
UNAIDS adds that to meet the 2030 targets, US$2.7 billion (89 per cent of the resources) would be needed for interventions in lower- and middle-income countries.
The report also states that US$3.1 billion (11 per cent of the total estimated resource needs for the HIV response) per year is needed for enablers, including programmes addressing human rights, policy dialogue, reduction of stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence, as well as HIV-related legal services.
UNAIDS emphasizes the importance of protecting and promoting the human rights of people who use drugs by treating them with dignity, providing equal access to health and social services, and decriminalising drug use/consumption and the possession, purchase, and cultivation of drugs for personal use.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.
- SDG 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
- SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
- SDG 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.
- SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs
- Deaths from drug-related causes
- Percentage of countries criminalizing drug possession for personal use
- Percentage of people who inject drugs receiving HIV prevention services
- Access to harm reduction services for people who inject drugs
- Percentage of people who inject drugs avoiding accessing healthcare services due to stigma and discrimination
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases. | – HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs – Deaths from drug-related causes |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs. | – Percentage of people who inject drugs receiving HIV prevention services |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. | – Percentage of people who inject drugs avoiding accessing healthcare services due to stigma and discrimination |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard. | – Percentage of countries criminalizing drug possession for personal use |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. | – Access to harm reduction services for people who inject drugs |
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Source: premiumtimesng.com
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