The Backslide Begins:How Funding Cuts and Anti-Rights Movement Are Undermining Global Health.
- 365healthdiaries
- Aug 3
- 2 min read
By Hamu Madzedze
Online Health Editor-Zimbabwe
The world is facing a grave threat to its progress in combating HIV, with recent global funding cuts potentially sending the world back to levels of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths not seen since the early 2000s.
Experts warn that the Asia Pacific region is particularly vulnerable, with nine countries experiencing rising new HIV infection rates and nine countries having too low coverage of lifesaving antiretroviral treatments.
UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia Pacific Eamonn Murphy said recent global funding cuts could send the world back to levels of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths not seen since the early 2000s.
"Recent global funding cuts could send the world back to levels of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths not seen since the early 2000s" he pointed out.
Murphy added that projection show that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths globally can dangerously rise if the lost funding (both this year and in recent years) does not return.
"Many countries have reduced their investments and domestic funding which is affecting the HIV response which has been relying on external support"
"Nine countries in Asia and the Pacific region have rising new HIV infection rates, and nine countries have too low coverage of lifesaving antiretroviral treatments."said Murphy.
The region's prevention crisis is further exacerbated by the criminalization of same-sex relationships and sex work, which drives key populations underground, away from essential health services.
Legal Representative and Head of Strategic Litigation and Research ,Our Equity South Africa Letlhogonolo Mokgoroane said criminalization of same-sex relationships and sex work drives key populations underground, away from essential health services.
Mokgoroane added that justice cannot be attained without upholding rights and rights cannot be upheld without addressing the root cause of inequality and exclusion.
Experts have also pointed out that in addition to funding cuts, anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are also threatening progress.
"Anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are driven by political, conservative, and religious bodies that frame wrong understandings of gender as a 'threat to the social good'," said Dr. Angelique Nixon, Director, CAISO: Sex & Gender Justice, Trinidad & Tobago.
Experts urge governments to step up their actions on gender equality and human right to health and decriminalizing sex work as it is also crucial to addressing the HIV crisis.
"We are calling for the full decriminalization of sex work because sex workers deserve to work in safe, free, and dignified spaces," said Pam Ntshekula, Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT), South Africa.
Experts added that the clock is ticking, and the world must act now to prevent a devastating reversal of progress. Governments must prioritize gender equality and human right to health, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Comments