HIV is not over, warns UNAids director for SA after emergency meeting

“New HIV infections are rising in an alarming number of countries, regions and cities around the world. There were 1.5 million new HIV infections in 2021 — 1 million higher than the 2020 target of 500,000,” said UNAids. 

“To support countries in driving down new infections, UNAids and partners have brought together HIV-prevention experts and implementers from the 28 countries with the highest rates of new infections to establish why they are failing to decline at scale, to discuss solutions and to help countries set ambitious prevention targets.”  

Eva Kiwango, UNAids’ country director for South Africa, said an emergency meeting convened by UNAids this month had looked at roll-out plans for the targets set in the global Aids strategy of prevention, and the 2021 political declaration that was approved by member states. 

“We did see an impact in the HIV response during Covid-19, along with the socioeconomic indicators, because dealing with Aids is not just about testing and treatment. People were worried about going to facilities and health workers were under immense strain. 

“During lockdown, a lot of girls were out of school. According to Stats SA, 17 million learners were out of school during closures and only about 11% of schools were offering remote learning. So, you can only imagine the implications for children, especially in rural areas … high levels of unprotected sex and teenage pregnancy. Young girls and boys were also dealing with sexual violence, as gender-based violence spiked as well.”