Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 2nd March. UN HIVAIDS on Friday marked the 10th anniversary with Zero Discrimination Day said that the progress on advancing equality and fairness for all regardless of gender, sexuality or HIV status dedicated to end AIDS by 2030.
The day of activism was established by UNAIDS ten years ago.
It said despite improvements in some societies, attacks on the rights of women and girls, of LGBTQ+ people, and of other marginalized communities, are increasing.
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS said “The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health. Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care, and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030,”.
“It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health.”
The agemncy noted that the start of the AIDS pandemic 40 years ago, two thirds of countries in the world criminalized LGBTQ+ people. Today, two-thirds of countries do not.
Some 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination and today 50 million more girls are in school than in 2015.
UNAIDS said it was crucial to keep supporting women’s movements, LGBTQ+ rights, campaigns for racial justice, for economic justice, for climate justice, and for an end to conflict.
“As communities across the world stand up for rights, the United Nations is not only on their side but by their side”, UNAIDS said in a statement.
The agency has organised events in March to remind the world of this vital lesson and call to action by protecting everyone’s health, we can protect everyone’s rights.
Ms. Byanyima added “Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to secure a safer, fairer, kinder, and happier world for everyone.”
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