On World AIDS Day, celebrated annually on December 1st, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) underscored the critical importance of communities and civil society in delivering vital HIV-related services, including testing, prevention, and treatment, across Latin America and the Caribbean.
This year, the theme for World AIDS Day is “Let communities lead,” highlighting the central role that organizations led by individuals disproportionately affected by HIV play in combating this four-decade-long epidemic.
A call for empowerment and support
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO, emphasized that there is a fundamental part that communities play in accelerating the HIV response.
“Today, let us renew our commitment and support for community leadership as we work together to eliminate AIDS in the region of the Americas,” he added.
Luisa Cabal, Regional Director of UNAIDS for Latin America and the Caribbean, added, “We are on the home stretch when it comes to ending AIDS as a public health challenge, but we will only achieve this goal if we empower the most affected communities that are being left behind.”
Caba further said that community leadership is essential in all HIV plans and programs, which must also have financing and protective regulations for their operation.
The “I am key” initiative: Strengthening partnerships
To extend services to key populations and individuals living with HIV, PAHO and UNAIDS jointly initiated the “I am key” initiative in eleven Latin American countries.
This effort has fostered stronger collaborations with communities and civil society, supporting an accelerated response and people-centered service models.
Empowering communities: A path to elimination
Empowering communities to devise their strategies is essential to reach those most in need with critical information, HIV self-testing, antiretrovirals (PrEP), and treatment to achieve an undetectable viral load, thus breaking the chain of transmission.
Fighting stigma and discrimination
Services led by community groups, known for being free of stigma and discrimination, contribute significantly to acceptance and retention in care for key populations such as gays and men who have sex with men, sex workers, trans individuals, and drug users – populations crucial in the fight against HIV and among whom the highest number of new infections are reported.
The ongoing battle: HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean
Reports are that in Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 2.5 million individuals live with HIV.
In 2022, around 130,000 people contracted the virus, and 33,000 lost their lives due to AIDS-related causes.
Preventing new HIV cases: Expanding PrEP
Advancements in medicine and public health have facilitated rapid diagnosis and combined prevention methods, making effective treatment against the virus possible.
Adherence to treatment by a person with HIV means they no longer transmit the virus, while a healthy person taking PrEP enjoys 99% protection against HIV.
Efforts to expand PrEP
The region has made significant strides in implementing PrEP, evident in the increasing number of countries with public health policies on PrEP and its greater accessibility.
However, efforts to expand PrEP coverage must be accelerated to prevent new HIV cases.
Community education for PrEP uptake
Disseminating information to communities can stimulate greater demand for PrEP, especially among those at the highest risk of exposure.
Additionally, through the PAHO Strategic Fund, countries in the Americas can purchase PrEP at affordable prices, providing crucial support given the limited resources of some health ministries.
On World AIDS Day 2023, Latin America and the Caribbean stand united in recognizing the invaluable contribution of communities and civil society in the battle against HIV and renew their commitment to ending AIDS in the region.
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