OPS y ONUSIDA destacan el rol clave de las comunidades para avanzar hacia la eliminación del sida como problema de salud pública – OPS/OMS

Washington, DC/Panama City, November 30, 2023- Within the framework of World AIDS Day (December 1), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) highlighted the key role that communities and civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean have in the provision of information and HIV testing, prevention and treatment services.

“We must recognize the fundamental role that communities play in their commitment and leadership to accelerate the response to HIV,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO. “Today we renew our commitment and support for communities to lead, as we work together to eliminate AIDS in the region of the Americas,” he highlighted.

Who lead communities is the motto of World Sida Day 2023 and underscores the role that organizations led by the populations most disproportionately affected by the human immunodeficiency virus play in the response to this four-decade epidemic.

“We are in the last mile to reach the goal of ending AIDS as a public health challenge, and this distance to travel is only possible by empowering the most affected communities that are being left behind,” stated the Regional Director of UNAIDS for Latin America and the Caribbean, Luisa Cabal. “Community leadership is essential in all plans and programs for HIV and for this they must have financing and protective regulations for their operation.”

In order to support the expansion of HIV services to key populations and people with HIV, PAHO and UNAIDS carry out the Soy Clave initiative in one of the Latin American countries. The initiative has allowed us to strengthen alliances that support accelerated responses with the participation of communities and civil society, thus promoting people-centered service models.

It is essential that communities are empowered to develop their own strategies and reach those who need it most with information, HIV self-testing, antiretrovirals as a method of prevention (known as PrEP), and treatment to achieve an undetectable viral load . and cut the transmission chain.

Additionally, by being spaces free of stigma and discrimination, services led by community groups increase acceptance and retention in care for gay men and others who have sex with men, sex workers, and trans people. , and drug users, populations considered key in the response to HIV and among whom the highest number of new infections are reported.

In Latin America and the Caribbean around 2.5 million people live with HIV. In 2022, about 130,000 people acquired the virus and 33,000 lost their lives from AIDS-related causes.

Expand PrEP to prevent new cases of HIV

Advances in medicine and public health have allowed rapid diagnosis, methods for combined prevention and effective treatment against the virus. An infected person who adheres to treatment no longer transmits the virus, while a healthy person who takes PrEP has 99% protection against HIV.

The region has made great efforts to advance the implementation of PrEP, which is reflected in an increase in the number of countries with public health policies on PrEP and its greater availability. However, it is necessary to quickly increase the number of people receiving it to prevent new infections.

Disseminating information to communities can support increased demand for PrEP, especially among those at highest risk of exposure. In addition, through the PAHO Strategic Fund, countries in the Americas can purchase PrEP at enormous prices, essential support in the face of the limited resources of some health ministries.

About PAHO: PAHO, established in 1902, is the world’s oldest international public health organization. It works with its member countries to improve the health and quality of life of the people of the Americas. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).

About UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to realize its global goal of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS brings together the efforts of 11 United Nations organizations (UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and World Bank) and works closely with global and national partners to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Get more information at unaids.org and connect with us through Facebook, Twitter, instagram and Youtube.

Contacts

PAHO/WHO: Sebastián Oliel, mediateam@paho.org, +1 202 316 5679
UNAIDS Latin America and the Caribbean: Daniel de Castro, decastrod@unaids.org +507 6998 3175