As the 13th International Francophone Conference on HIV ( AFRAVIH ) ends, the resounding call from UNAIDS and partners is to continue to move forward together to end AIDS by 2030.
Addressing participants Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director said, "Ending AIDS has never been only a medical challenge it has always been shaped - and determined - by inequality. Our greatest breakthroughs came when we closed gaps in access to scientific innovation, to finance, and to rights driven by political leadership, global solidarity, and a powerful community-led movement."
Christine Katlama, President of AFRAVIH said, "In this challenging global context, with a real fear that HIV may rebound, we must share our scientific knowledge and maintain our solidarity."
With global aid falling by more than 23% last year, many countries are struggling to fill the gap. Professor Nicolas Meda from Burkina Faso voiced that African countries commit too little money to health and more on defence and debt repayments. Currently only three out of 54 African countries have achieved the commitments set out in the 2001 Abuja Declaration of spending 15% of their annual national budgets on health. He said that every US$ 1 spent on health has a return on investment of US$ 3-4.
"African health sovereignty is a public health emergency and a political and existential obligation. It is up to us to build that future now," he said.
Throughout the conference, the Global AIDS Strategy 2026-2031 was cited as the critical roadmap to ending AIDS. It outlines three strategic priorities: 1) Sustaining the response through country-led, resilient and future-ready systems, 2) Putting people at the centre, ensuring equity, dignity and access to services and 3) Empowering communities to lead and shape the HIV response.
"The funding shock has been brutal but we are all invested in the fight against HIV, so we only have one choice: Move forward and not abandon our common goal of ending AIDS," said Michel Kazatchkine, former UN Special envoy on HIV/AIDS.
Many of the speakers in the conference were from the West and Central African region, which has made notable progress in recent years with a 55% reduction in new HIV infections across the region and a 60% decline in AIDS-related deaths between 2010 and 2024. However, the region also has much work to do accounting for 36% of all new HIV infections among children globally. In addition, one in three people living with HIV among key populations report having been refused access to health services and/or discrimination. And eight countries in the region demand parental consent for HIV testing of minors, adding barriers for young people to know their status. The region accounts for 19% of new global HIV infections among adolescents and young girls (15-24.)
Nearly 1000 participants during the four-day conference held at a critical moment, just ahead of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS . All Member States will come together on June 22,23 in New York to negotiate and adopt a new Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS - an integral part of efforts to end AIDS by 2030.
UNAIDS
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations-UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank-and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org
