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 conquered. 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, invited by the International AIDS Society, in Munich until July 26. Federal Chancellor 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 2 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 whether 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 response to 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 persecuted, 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 more hostile." In Uganda, the death penalty threatens since 2023 for "aggravated homosexuality." UNAIDS fears that the great progress of the country in the fight against HIV is endangered.
In Germany, a changed climate prevails, driven by right-wing forces, says Wicht. "People sense in Germany that there is a different wind blowing, that they are more threatened. We hear more and more about 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 returns 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, US bilateral financing accounted for approximately 58% of the total international HIV aid in the past.
Entkriminalisierung demands
In a joint statement, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima call 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 enable a nearly normal life with timely treatment. Additionally, a successful therapy prevents further transmission. However, according to UNAIDS, about a quarter of the people living with HIV worldwide have no access to treatments.
In many parts of the world and even in Europe, except for homosexual and bisexual men, PrEP (HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is often unknown. These medications can prevent infection if 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 likely reason being PrEP usage. 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 diseases."
- The World AIDS Conference in Munich, known as "AIDS 2024," will focus on potential new approaches to combat HIV/AIDS.
- The International AIDS Society invites more than 10,000 participants from over 175 countries to the conference in Munich until July 26.
- Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to deliver a speech at the opening of the 25th World AIDS Conference.
- According to UNAIDS, the number of new HIV infections has more than halved since 1995, but the UN aims to reduce this further by 90% by 2030.
- The UN's funding for HIV/AIDS programs is currently in a crisis, which is a concern for achieving the UN's goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat.
- The Coronavirus pandemic and the strengthening of defense capabilities in Europe in response to the Ukraine War have absorbed financial resources, potentially jeopardizing the UN's AIDS goals.
- Experts worry about the growing strength of right-wing and extremist forces in many countries, which could lead to discrimination and persecution of LGBTQ communities, making it difficult for them to get tested or treated.
- In Russia, HIV-affected individuals are increasingly discriminated against, with homosexual men being stigmatized and facing a hostile climate.
- Uganda threatens to impose the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," which could endanger the country's progress in the fight against HIV.
- Germany has seen a changed climate driven by right-wing forces, with more reports of violence against queer people.
- Experts in the USA are concerned about the presidential elections and the potential return of former President Donald Trump, who could threaten discrimination of risk groups and weaken funding for HIV/AIDS programs.
- UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk and UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima have called for an end to the criminal prosecution of LGBTQ individuals, stating that such laws cost lives.
- Antiretroviral medications can enable a nearly normal life for those with HIV/AIDS and prevent further transmission, but approximately a quarter of the world's HIV-positive population has no access to treatments.
