Angeli Achrekar speaking to the media
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called on African leaders to speed up efforts to strengthen and sustain their national HIV responses through renewed political commitment, domestic investments and international solidarity.
Speaking at a press conference during the 23rd edition of International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA), in Accra, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Angeli Achrekar, mentioned that about 40.8 million people are living with HIV globally and in need of treatment.
She disclosed that over 1.3 million new infections are still happening among young people and key populations on the continent, especially among adolescent girls and young women, noting that such marginalised populations must be reached to ensure that new infections are prevented.
“We must reach those marginalised populations and make sure that we are preventing new infections from occurring,” she said.
She added that despite the halting of funding, there is hope since the continent is increasing investment in HIV response.
“We have seen countries stepping up to ensure that their people maintain essential life-saving services and ARVs during this disruption. We have seen communities continue to rise up and lead the way and not give up. And we have seen that strength here on the continent more than any other place,” she said.
Ms. Achrekar stressed that Africa must come together to end AIDS, which is a public health threat, by 2030. “We must work collectively in solidarity to urgently move to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 and sustain the gains beyond,” she added.
By Florence Asamoah Adom