More than 12 million infected persons are waiting to access to HIV treatment while 1.7 million people became infected with HIV in 2019 because they could not access essential services.
The executive director of the agency, the Executive Director of Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Winnie Byanyinma, disclosed this in a statement to mark this year’s World Aids Day.
Byanyinma said COVID-19 is threatening the progress that the world has made in health and development over the past 20 years, including the gains made against HIV.
The UNAIDS official, however, expressed satisfaction for the progress made so far in protecting persons living with HIV.
“I am proud that over the past year the HIV movement has mobilised to defend our progress, to protect people living with HIV and other vulnerable groups, and to push the coronavirus back,” Byanyinma said.
