In New York, from 8 - 10th June, 30 heads of state and government leaders will be gathering alongside more than 3000 HIV advocates at United Nations headquarters to review the progress made to date in addressing the epidemic and discussing what the future global response should be.
The High Level Meeting comes three decades after AIDS was officially recognised and ten years after the landmark UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS, which called for an urgent international response to address HIV. It is hoped that the current meeting will culminate in the United Nations Member States adopting a Declaration which will outline their commitment to achieving treatment targets and enshrine the importance of breaking down the stigma, inequality and discrimination that can prevent those most in need from accessing HIV prevention, support and treatment.
UNAIDS figures suggest that, while HIV treatment has massively expanded in the past decade, more than 9 million people globally do not have access to antiretroviral drugs. Testing continues to be a priority with a large percentage- estimated at 27% of infected people in the UK- being completely unaware of their HIV status. The current crisis in HIV funding further complicates what shape the discussion about what the future response might take.
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