The Director of the WHO Regional Office for Europe points out that it is impossible to overcome AIDS as a global public health threat by 2030 without overcoming the discrimination associated with it.
“The sad truth is that the biggest and most persistent obstacle to ending AIDS is not medical,” Hans Kluge, director of the office, told TASS. “It is the persistent stigma associated with HIV, discrimination, and criminalization of HIV transmission and related behaviors that undermine prevention efforts and prevent people from seeking diagnosis and treatment.”
According to him, the great advances in treatment and care in the European region have increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV, so that it can now be considered a chronic disease, like diabetes or high blood pressure. However, we have an urgent task ahead of us – to overcome the stigma that is hindering the achievement of the global goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, not only in Europe but all over the world.
“Stigma and discrimination have been and continue to be barriers for people living with HIV. For example, more than one in five (21 percent) of people living with HIV reported being denied health services in the past year. In addition, discrimination and physical and economic violence against people living with HIV contribute to negative impacts on their education and work lives. Discrimination can manifest itself in many forms, devastating people’s lives and eroding long-standing trust in health care providers and the health system, which can take years to restore,” he says.