As it marked Zero Discrimination Day on 1 March, UNAIDS stressed the need to work with communities to make sure everyone gains the “right to live a full and productive life with dignity.
Communities, stressed UNAIDS, are “essential to the sustainability of the HIV response and to broader global health efforts” and so “they must be financed and supported in their steadfast commitment to ensuring that all people living with and affected by HIV have access to the services they need and are treated with dignity and respect.”
Sadly, the UN agency noted, community healthcare and support providers are too often faced with challenges — e.g. stigma, discrimination, criminalization, funding cuts, and political backlash — despite their primary role in ensuring that health services reach everyone in need, including the most vulnerable.
“The only way to end AIDS is by working together with communities. They build trust and reach people which many traditional health facilities find hard to reach—the most marginalized, and people who face stigma and discrimination,” said Christine Stegling, UNAIDS deputy executive director. “To end AIDS by 2030, sustained investment and support for community-led responses is crucial.”
UNAIDS similarly noted the current crisis caused by the shift in US government funding, which has “resulted in deep anxiety and pain for many community organizations as the future of life-saving community-led HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support programs are at risk, despite the clear evidence of the positive impact of community-led services.”
“No society can thrive where discrimination exists,” said Marc Angel, VP of the European Parliament and a long-time HIV activist. “Every right denied, every barrier imposed weakens us all. On Zero Discrimination Day, let’s make it clear: equality is not an option—it’s a necessity. We stand together.”
On this year’s Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS calls on countries, donors and partners to fulfill their commitments and Stand Together to support communities as they work to build sustainable HIV responses by ensuring that:
- Community-led organizations are able to deliver life-saving services and advocate without discrimination or harassment.
- Community-led organizations can legally be registered in the country they are working in and receive sustainable funding.
- Communities are supported in providing health services to vulnerable and marginalized groups.
- Communities are supported and funded in work to monitor respect for human rights including ending the criminalization of key populations, stigma and discrimination and gender inequalities.
- Government health services include community representatives within their structures as partners in the development, implementation and monitoring of health programmes to ensure they are accessible and acceptable to people living with HIV and marginalized populations.
“The sustainability of the AIDS response now and into the future is critical with communities at the centre. Now is the time to reaffirm global commitment to their leadership,” UNAIDS ended.
