AIDS 2014: No One Left Behind in Response to HIV/AIDS [VIDEO]

The global response to HIV/AIDS has made some remarkable progress since the last such gathering in 2012, but more remains to be done to ensure that no one is left behind, UNAIDS Executive Direct Michel Sidibé said on the opening day of the 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014), taking place this week in Melbourne, Australia.

Michel Sidibé speaks at AIDS 2014 opening press briefing, July 20, 2014

"More has been done in last 3 years than in the last 25 years," Sidibé said. "We quickened the pace, and we changed completely the trajectory of the response."

But we face a new generation of challenges, he added. "Because of stigma, discrimination, because of exclusion, because of criminal laws, people are hiding themselves and people are afraid to use services." It is estimated that only about half of people living with HIV worldwide know their status, and 75% of new infections and deaths due to AIDS are concentrated in 15 countries.

7/20/14

Source

M Sidibé.Justice For All: Ending AIDS Means Leaving No One Behind. 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014). Melbourne, July 20-25, 2014. Opening session and press briefing.

White House Issues Progress Report on U.S. National AIDS Strategy

In advance of the 20th International AIDS Conference starting Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, the Obama Administration issued a 4-year report of progress toward reaching the goals set forth in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. In addition, the Department of Justice this week issued a new "best practices" guide outlining steps to reform laws that criminalize people with HIV.

Read more:

AIDS 2014: International AIDS Conference Open with Tributes and Determination

The 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014) kicked off Sunday in Melbourne, Australia. With the theme of "Stepping Up the Pace" in the response to HIV/AIDS, delegates will focus on expanded access to HIV and hepatitis C treatment, the promise of biomedical prevention, ending criminalization of people with HIV, and reaching key populations including gay men, transgender people, sex workers, prisoners, and people who use drugs.

Read more:

Gov. Cuomo Introduces Plan to End AIDS in New York State

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan late last month that aims to end the AIDS epidemic in the state by reducing the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. Key elements of the plan include identification of people who remain undiagnosed, linking people who test HIV positive to care and treatment, and expanding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Read more: