The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the International AIDS Conference in Montreal on Monday that growing inequalities might reverse a decade of progress in the fight once morest HIV.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who addressed the AIDS 2022 conference via video, said the COVID-19, inflation and cuts in foreign aid by rich countries increased inequality and disrupted health services. “In almost every country, the gap between rich and poor is widening and the global cost of living crisis is pushing more people into poverty,” said Mr. Ghebreyesus. Populism continues to influence national and global politics, with support waning for those most in need, including migrants and refugees. »
He believes that although the number of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths is far below what it was 10 years ago, this progress might easily be reversed. About 1.5 million people were infected with HIV last year, and around 650,000 deaths were linked to AIDS, according to the United Nations.
Ghebreyesus said he was concerned that access to care too often depended on where people lived and how much money they had. “Access to life-saving prevention, testing and treatment tools — whether for HIV, COVID-19 and now monkeypox — too often relies on chance: where you were born, the color of your your skin and how much you earn,” he argued.
He called on countries to tailor interventions to the individual needs of communities affected by HIV, and he said donor countries must maintain funding for global health.
The 24e International AIDS Conference runs until Tuesday at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal. More than 9,000 delegates from around the world are expected to attend in person, and another 2,000 have registered to attend remotely.
