HIV - AIDS Conference in Munich - UN Goals at Risk?
Every Minute, worldwide, a person dies from AIDS. Despite significant achievements in the fight against the Immune Deficiency Disease, it is not yet defeated. Starting from this Monday, potential new approaches will be discussed at the 25th World AIDS Conference in Munich, named "AIDS 2024". The congress president, Christoph Spinner from Munich, states that the conference aims to mobilize political, scientific, and social forces to enable therapy for HIV living people worldwide.
More than 10,000 participants from over 175 countries are expected at the world's largest gathering on the topic of HIV and AIDS in Munich, upon invitation from the International AIDS Society. Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz is scheduled to speak at the opening.
UN Goals at Risk?
Since the peak of new infections in 1995, with an estimated 3.2 million, the number, according to UNAIDS - the UN program on HIV/AIDS - has more than halved. The death toll, which was around two million in 2004, has been reduced to approximately one third.
The UN aims to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 90% from 2010 to 2030 - and thus declare the end of AIDS as a public health threat. However, UNAIDS and other programs are in a funding crisis.
"It's a political decision if the goals are achievable," says Peter Wiessner from the Action Network against AIDS. The Corona Pandemic has absorbed all attention, now other crises - not least the strengthening of defense capabilities in Europe in the face of the Ukraine War - require high financial resources.
Concerns about Political Development
Experts look at the global political development and the growing strength of right-wing and extremist forces in many countries with concern - with the risk of discrimination and persecution of LGBTQ communities. People often do not get tested or treated medically out of fear of discovery, according to German AIDS-Help. "Where homosexuality, sex work, and drug addiction are pursued, the numbers rise," explains spokesperson Holger Wicht.
In Vladimir Putin's Russia, for example, HIV-affected individuals are increasingly discriminated against, says Wicht. "Homosexual men in Russia are increasingly stigmatized, the climate for them is becoming increasingly hostile." In Uganda, a death sentence threatens since 2023 for "heavy homosexuality." UNAIDS fears that the major progress of the country in the fight against HIV is now endangered.
In Germany, there is, driven by right-wing forces, a changed climate, says Wicht. "People sense in Germany that there is a different wind blowing, that they are more threatened. We are hearing increasingly of violence against queer people. It seems that hostility is increasing, and that can lead to a stronger retreat."
Concerns in the USA
Experts look at the situation in the USA with concern regarding the Presidential elections. If Ex-President Donald Trump comes back to power, not only a distorted discrimination of risk groups is threatened. The financing of various programs is also likely to be weakened. According to UNAIDS, the US bilateral financing accounted for approximately 58% of the total international HIV aid in the past.
Entkriminalisierung demands
In a joint statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima speak out against the criminal prosecution of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. "Such laws cost lives," they write. A study in Africa south of the Sahara has shown that the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men is five times higher in countries with criminalization of same-sex relationships.
Access to Medications
An infection with the HIV virus can lead to AIDS if left untreated. Antiretroviral medications allow for a largely normal life with timely treatment. In addition, a successful therapy prevents further transmission. However, according to UNAIDS, about a quarter of the people living with HIV worldwide have not yet gained access to treatments.
In many parts of the world, including Europe, PrEP (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is often inaccessible and unknown, even to homo- and bisexual men. These medications can prevent infection when taken correctly.
Current Situation in Germany
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), approximately 2,200 people were infected with HIV in Germany in 2023. This is similar to the number from a year ago but fewer than before the Corona pandemic. Among men who have sex with men, the number decreased according to RKI compared to 2019 - a possible reason being PrEP use. The number of HIV transmissions through drug injections has been increasing since 2010. HIV transmissions through heterosexual contact are more common than before the pandemic.
HIV diagnoses in Germany are often not made until years after infection. Currently, it is estimated that approximately one in ten affected individuals is unaware of their infection - with the risk of unwittingly transmitting the virus, says Congress President Spinner from the Universitätsklinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University Munich. "HIV is primarily transmitted by people whose HIV infection has not yet been diagnosed," the RKI warned earlier. "Using condoms remains a fundamental principle for preventing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."
- Christoph Spinner, the congress president, emphasizes the importance of therapy for HIV-positive individuals worldwide.
- The World AIDS Conference in Munich will discuss potential new approaches to fighting HIV and AIDS.
- Over 10,000 participants from over 175 countries are expected at the conference.
- The UN aims to reduce HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 90% by 2030.
- Peter Wiessner from the Action Network against AIDS raises concerns about the funding crisis facing UNAIDS and other programs.
- The Coronavirus pandemic has diverted attention and resources from the fight against AIDS.
- Homosexuality, sex work, and drug addiction can contribute to higher HIV rates in certain countries.
- In Russia, HIV-affected individuals are facing discrimination and stigmatization.
- Ex-President Donald Trump's potential return to power in the USA raises concerns about discrimination and financing for HIV programs.
- The criminalization of LGBTQ communities can lead to higher HIV rates, as evidenced by a study in Africa.
- Antiretroviral medications can allow for a largely normal life with timely treatment and prevent further transmission.
- In Germany, HIV diagnoses are often made years after infection, increasing the risk of unwittingly transmitting the virus.
- Despite decreases in some HIV infection rates in Germany, transmissions through drug injections and heterosexual contact have been on the rise.
