Inequalities determining trajectory of HIV epidemic in the Global South
"Scale up of antiretroviral therapy has improved over the years as well as access to HIV services, however it is also fundamental to ensure the quality and sustainability of the programmes which are being implemented," added Dr Grinsztejn. "Countries in the Global South have many issues in common as inequalities are still determining the trajectory of HIV epidemic in low and middle-income countries."
Dr Beatriz said "There are compelling factors that demand reassessments of policy frameworks for emerging South-South cooperation. A framework which is holistic and aims for generating health-driven research and development, will strike a balance between promoting and protecting the right to access of medicines."
Bridge the gap between "what we know," and "what we do"
Dr Ann Duerr, Scientific Affairs Director, HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), and Professor, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch, Seattle, USA expressed concern on latest UNAIDS global AIDS update shared at AIDS 2022. In 2021, every 2-3 minutes an adolescent girl or young woman was infected with HIV and every minute we lost a life to AIDS.
Dr Ann Duerr said: "It is high time that we redouble our efforts globally. We need to increase implementation of what we know works. This includes increasing HIV treatments, and also increasing the preventive measures such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) along with full range of combination prevention options, especially among populations at risk."
She strongly called upon India to help boost implementation science, which addresses the gap between "what we know" and "what we do." "By closing these gaps, we can redouble our efforts to fight the global epidemic of HIV infection," she added.
Commendable progress but challenges remain
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