Every December 1st is commemorated as “World AIDS Day” and this year UNAIDS proposes the motto “Equality now” . Specifically, it posits that the inequalities that perpetuate the AIDS pandemic are not inevitable and can be addressed.
According to the website of the Pan American Health Organization, dependent on the World Health Organization, the slogan “Equality Now” is a call to action to work on all those practical actions that have been shown to be necessary to address the inequalities and help end AIDS.
Specifically, UNAIDS calls for us to commit to:
• Increase the availability, quality and appropriateness of HIV treatment, testing and prevention services, so that all people receive the care they need.
• Reform laws, policies and practices to address the stigma and exclusion faced by people living with HIV, key populations and marginalized populations, so that everyone is respected and welcomed.
• Ensure technology exchange to enable equal access to the best HIV science, both between communities and between the south and north of the world.
Panorama in America
According to a PAHO report published in October 2022 but with data up to 2021:
• Of the 3.8 million people living with HIV in the Region of the Americas, 2.5 million are in Latin America and the Caribbean.
•New annual infections decreased by 3.6% compared to 2010.
•Annual deaths decreased by 35% compared to 2010.
