Medical experts Claudia Cortes and Omar Sued have called for reflection on the progress in the HIV response 10 years after the first Zero Discrimination Day was established on March 1, 2014.
The day is dedicated to eradicating discrimination and promoting social inclusion and tolerance.
Cortes, a medical researcher and associate professor at the University of Chile, and Sued, an internal medicine and infectious diseases specialist, have expressed the sentiments in an article published in the Journal of the International Aids Society.
They have also urged action on the continuous challenges of stigma and discrimination related to HIV.
“The availability of self-testing, the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the expansion of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the dissemination of the undetectable equals untransmittable (U = U) message have contributed to reducing new HIV cases, decreasing mortality and even to declaring the virtual elimination of HIV in Australia.
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“In some countries, this information helped to shape a society that is more informed and understanding, with greater empathy and reduced discriminatory attitudes,” the two say in their journal article.
Malawi is among countries that are said to have made tremendous progress towards eliminating Aids as a public health threat by 2030.
The country has already surpassed the UNAids 95-95-95 targets for HIV treatment, with 97 percent of people living with the virus being aware of their status, 98 percent receiving ART and 95 percent achieving viral suppression.
Malawi also registered a more than 50 percent reduction in new infections between 2021 and 2023 and launched PrEP for key populations.
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In their journal article, Cortes and Sued further state that grassroots movements and community organisations were key in the early days of the epidemic and remain critical for amplifying the health services response to end Aids.
Meanwhile, in an op-ed made available to Times, UN Malawi Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda-Dontoh called for the repeal of laws that infringe on people’s rights.
“The path to ending Aids is undeniably a rights-based approach,” Adda-Dontoh wrote.
She added that despite Malawi having made remarkable strides in advancing human rights and combating the HIV and Aids epidemic, significant challenges persist.
“In 2022 alone, 15,000 adults and children in Malawi contracted HIV, with new infections disproportionately affecting marginalised and vulnerable populations.
“Adolescent girls and young women, particularly those aged 15-24, face a significantly higher risk of contracting HIV than their male counterparts,” she said.
The UN representative added that strengthening key population-led organisations is vital to addressing inequalities and vulnerabilities and ensuring inclusive health services that leave no one behind.
She further observed that communities on the frontlines are uniting efforts to protect and advance human rights, but they require “our collective support to continue contributing to the realisation of the ‘Malawi We Want’.”
