BY SONIA HLOPHE
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has marked World AIDS Day with a message urging world leaders to scale up investment, confront stigma and ensure that lifesaving HIV services reach everyone who needs them.
In his statement, Guterres said this year’s commemoration serves as a reminder that the world “has the power to transform lives and futures, and end the AIDS epidemic once and for all.”
He highlighted the major gains achieved over the past decade.
“The progress we have made is undeniable,” he said, noting that “since 2010, new infections have fallen by 40 per cent” while “AIDS-related deaths have declined by more than half.” Access to treatment, he added, “is better than ever before.”
But despite this global progress, the Secretary-General warned that the crisis is far from over.
“For many people around the world, the crisis continues,” he said. “Millions still lack access to HIV prevention and treatment services because of who they are, where they live or the stigma they endure.”
Guterres also raised concern over shrinking resources:
“Reduced resources and services are putting lives at risk and threatening hard-won gains.”
He said ending AIDS requires fully supporting communities, scaling up prevention and ensuring treatment for everyone.
“Ending AIDS means empowering communities, investing in prevention and expanding access to treatment for all people.”
He also called for innovation to be matched by real-world delivery:
“It means uniting innovation with action, and ensuring new tools like injectables reach more people in need.”
Above all, he stressed the need for a human-rights centred response so no one is excluded.
“At every step, it means grounding our work in human rights to ensure no one is left behind.”
With the 2030 global deadline approaching, the UN chief said success is still possible if momentum is sustained.
“Ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is within grasp. Let’s get the job done.”