World AIDS Day 2024

This statement is jointly released by Global Fund Advocates Network Asia-Pacific (GFAN AP), the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM), the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+), the Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), the International Community of Women Living with HIV Asia Pacific (ICWAP), the Network of Asian People Who Use Drugs (NAPUD), and the Asia Pacific Network of Young Key Populations (Youth LEAD) on World Mental Health Day 2024.

As communities and civil society from the Asia-Pacific, we call on leaders to ‘take the rights path’ towards ending AIDS as an epidemic. The promotion and upholding of human rights is not only a necessary obligation by leaders and duty-bearers, it is also an essential approach for ending AIDS as an epidemic, for ensuring sustainable development, and for safeguarding human security. More now than ever, we must act to ensure everyone’s rights are protected, to ensure everyone’s health is also protected!

In 2023, AIDS-related illnesses resulted in the deaths of 630,000 people – or one person every minute. Over the same year, despite progress towards the 95-95-95 targets, the world recorded 1.3 million new HIV infections, bringing the total number of people living with HIV to 39.9 million. Across the world, key and vulnerable populations face criminalisation, stigma and discrimination based on their identities and behaviours.

With less than 6 years to achieve the 2030 targets to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat, more efforts and resources are necessary to accelerate the progress and sustain the achievements so far for populations living with and/or affected by HIV in the Asia-Pacific. As communities and civil society in the Asia-Pacific region, we recognise the role that the Global Fund has played and continues to play in shaping health responses and supporting community and civil society in sustainable and quality health programming and service delivery, and call on all stakeholders to step up their efforts collectively to improve human rights protection and health outcomes for key and vulnerable populations.

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