Mayors from around the World Sign
Paris Declaration to End AIDS by 2030
PARIS, FRANCE, 1 December 2014 -
On World AIDS Day 2014, Mayors from around the world came together in
Paris, France, to sign a declaration to end the AIDS epidemic in their
cities.
In signing the 2014 Paris Declaration, the Mayors commit to
putting cities on the fast-track to ending AIDS through a set of
commitments.
Those commitments include achieving the UNAIDS 90-90-90
targets, which will result in 90% of people living with HIV knowing
their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status on
antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of people on treatment with suppressed
viral loads, keeping them healthy and reducing the risk of HIV
transmission.
"Ending
the AIDS epidemic is achievable if the world's major cities act
immediately and decisively to fast-track their AIDS responses by 2020,"
said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
"A fast-track AIDS response in cities
will also encourage new, cutting-edge service delivery programmes that
can pave the way for cities to address other public health challenges,
including tuberculosis, sexual and reproductive health, maternal and
child health, gender-based violence and noncommunicable diseases."
At
the World AIDS Day event in Paris, hosted by the Mayor of Paris, Anne
Hidalgo, the Mayors joined UNAIDS, the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat), and the International Association of Providers
of AIDS Care (IAPAC) in signing the Paris Declaration.
"Cities all over
the world are key players that can fast-track the response in order to
ultimately end the AIDS epidemic,"
said Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris.
"Our duty is above all a human one. As elected representatives, our
choice is to demonstrate solidarity. In Paris, we are determined to take
our responsibilities and to live up to our commitments."
The
meeting is taking place 20 years after the Paris AIDS Summit, at which
world leaders and communities agreed to a set of principles for the
greater involvement of people living with HIV.
Known as the GIPA
principles, the historic commitment continues to guide the global AIDS
response today.
During
the event, UNAIDS released a report on HIV in cities, which outlines
the important role that urban areas will play in ending AIDS by 2030.
The OUTLOOK: Cities Report shows how cities and urban areas are
particularly affected by HIV, with the 200 cities most affected by the
epidemic estimated to account for more than a quarter of the 35 million
people living with HIV around the world. In many countries, cities are
home to more than half of all people living with HIV across the country.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 45% of people living with HIV reside in cities.
According
to the report, more than half the world's population lives in cities,
with the proportion set to expand to 60% by 2050.
The vast majority of
megacities, defined as having populations of more than 10 million
people, will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Fast-tracking HIV
responses in cities - without neglecting efforts in rural and other
areas - will therefore be crucial to ending AIDS.
The
2014 Paris Declaration includes commitments to focus on the communities
most affected by HIV, to mobilize resources for the better integration
of public health and development, to build and accelerate urban HIV
strategies and to use the AIDS response as a catalyst for positive
social transformation.
"Cities
provide ready, flexible and creative platforms that can contribute to
ending the AIDS epidemic in a pragmatic, balanced and efficient way,"
said Joan Clos, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
"Cities can act as the
fora where the linkages, trust, respect and inclusiveness that are part
of any sustainable solution can be built."
The Cities Report
shares the city photography of renowned photographer Richard Silver. It
also features testimonies from community activists, health workers and
public officials who have been at the forefront of the AIDS response in
the world's cities.
Their stories show how the same urban centres that
have been most affected by HIV from the beginning of the epidemic are
now uniquely positioned to end AIDS.
It also highlights the importance
of ensuring that people who are marginalized and often stigmatized -
including sex workers, people who inject drugs and men who have sex with
men - have access to HIV prevention and treatment services.
Tackling
poverty and inequality will also be essential. Globally, an estimated 1
billion people live in poverty, with access to only a few services.
Poverty and inequality are further tested by multiple health challenges,
including HIV and related diseases, such as tuberculosis, the leading
cause of death among people living with HIV.
"We
must seize this moment of unprecedented scientific opportunity to
rapidly reduce the number of new HIV infections and end AIDS-related
deaths, without ignoring significant barriers to achieving the 90-90-90
targets in cities, including stigma and discrimination," said José M.
Zuniga, President/CEO of IAPAC.
"Achieving these targets requires
thinking globally and acting locally; leveraging existing city
programmes and resources; and implementing locally relevant, locally
tailored and locally led interventions to address HIV prevention,
testing, and treatment gaps."
Ending
AIDS in the world's cities will require leaders who can inspire and
harness the compassion and generosity of ordinary urban citizens in
order to bring about lasting change.
It will depend upon energized
communities accelerating and sharpening the focus of local AIDS
responses and sharing best practices across urban centres.
In
addition to the 90-90-90 targets, UNAIDS also calls for reducing the
annual number of new adult HIV infections by more than 75%, to 500,000
in 2020, and achieving zero discrimination.
UNAIDS estimates that
reaching the 90-90-90 fast-track targets will prevent almost 28 million
new HIV infections and 21 million deaths by 2030.
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Click here for information about the Fast-Track Cities Initiative, including:
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