December 1, 2018 marks the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day. In 30 years the world has made considerable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, but the epidemic is not over. What more is to be done?
According to Dr. Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage and Health Systems with the WHO,
“The future of the HIV response will require looking beyond HIV care provision and ensuring that the disease response is embedded in universal health coverage. Ending AIDS is unlikely to ever happen without integrated health systems that provide HIV prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as care, with other essential health services and support to other co-morbidities such as TB, non-communicable diseases, and mental health at the community level. A people-centred, human rights based and holistic approach is crucial.”
For a thorough and informative walk through the developments in the global HIV/AIDS response over the past 30 years and a vision for the next 12 (taking us to 2030), please click here to read the World Health Organization's online article: "Why the HIV epidemic is not over".
