World Aids Day
Today, WHO joins partners to mark World AIDS Day 2022 under the theme ‘Equalize’, calling on world leaders and citizens to recognize and address the inequalities that hold back progress to end AIDS. AIDS and to equalize access to essential HIV and tuberculosis (TB), especially for key and vulnerable populations.
Tuberculosis, a disease of poverty and inequality, is a leading cause of serious illness and death among people with HIV. TB can be prevented and cured, and people with HIV who do not receive adequate prevention and care are at a much higher risk of developing and dying from TB. Many of those who die from HIV-related TB are the most vulnerable populations to whom timely health services, including services to address comorbidities such as malnutrition, mental health disorders, and substance use disorders substances, are not taken care of.
The past two decades have seen considerable progress in the response to HIV-associated tuberculosis. We have new tools for TB detection and diagnosis, shorter regimens for TB prevention and treatment, and improved regimens for HIV treatment. The global target set at the 2018 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis to provide preventive TB treatment to at least 6 million people living with HIV by 2022 has been exceeded, and 10.3 million receive preventive treatment as of 2018. The TB/HIV collaborative package of activities recommended by WHO is estimated to have saved an estimated 9.4 million lives since 2005. However, despite this progress, nearly half of people with HIV-associated TB did not receive care by 2021 and nearly a third. of the deaths among people with HIV in the same year were due to tuberculosis.
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme, emphasized the importance of addressing inequalities and social determinants as part of efforts to end TB and HIV: “Ending TB globally will require universal and equitable access to TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services. It is unacceptable that TB remains a leading cause of death among people living with HIV. We must identify and remove all barriers to access to TB services for people living with HIV and ensure that all benefit from the latest tools and technologies for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of TB and other common co-morbidities.”
The recently launched WHO Framework for Collaborative Action on Tuberculosis and Comorbidities includes actions to strengthen collaboration between different programs and health sectors to ensure people-centred and evidence-based services human rights. This will promote equity and ensure access to HIV-associated TB prevention, treatment and care services, thereby reducing suffering and saving lives.