World AIDS Day 2017: "Everyone Counts"

In 2015, world leaders jointly agreed on the Sustainable Development Goals with the ultimate goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030. The universal health coverage framework is currently at the heart of all health agendas. Complementary to this year's campaign World AIDS Day with the slogan "My right to health" (Right to health), the World Health Organization underlines the need for all people living with HIV as well as those affected by the HIV epidemic to enjoy universal health coverage.
With the slogan "Everybody counts", WHO supports access to safe, effective, quality and affordable care, including medicines, diagnostic tests and other health services, for all people who need it.

Key points for achieving universal health coverage:
- Let no one be left behind.
– Integration of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis services.
– Access to affordable care for all people living with HIV.
– A dynamic HIV response that will lead to stronger health systems.

HIV – A major threat to public health

According to the WHO, HIV continues to be a major public health issue. To date it has claimed more than 35 million lives, while in 2016 alone 1 million people lost their lives from causes directly related to the virus.
At the end of 2016, there were approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV, while new HIV infections reached 1.8 million worldwide in the past year. 56% of adults and 43% of children currently living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Among pregnant and lactating women, global antiretroviral therapy coverage reaches 76%.
African countries are hardest hit by HIV, with people living with the virus reaching 25.6 million in 2016. This region also accounted for nearly two-thirds of new infections in the past year.
The ambitious 90-90-90 goal

For its part, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) has set an ambitious goal to help end the AIDS epidemic. The goal is by 2020:
– 90% of people living with HIV to know their status,
– 90% of people diagnosed with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART);
– 90% of people taking ART to have achieved viral suppression.