Ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, UNAIDS and Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung hosted a special event at the UN Campus in Bonn. The event featured the launch of the UNAIDS report Take the Rights Path and the premiere of the documentary Eyes on Ukraine, with Richard Gere as executive producer. The event emphasized the critical need for a human rights-centered approach to end AIDS by 2030, focusing on vulnerable populations and regions facing unique challenges, such as Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Dr. Ursula Sautter, Deputy Mayor of Bonn, reaffirmed Bonn’s dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing that health remains a central focus. She called for collaboration among local, national, and international stakeholders to achieve the ambitious goal of ending AIDS by 2030.
Paul Zubeil, Deputy Director-General for European and International Health Politics at Germany's Federal Ministry of Health, stressed the urgent need to address stigma and discrimination, calling them major barriers to progress. He highlighted the importance of advocating for vulnerable groups, including LGBTQ+ communities, women, and girls in Africa, and underscored the need for an effective HIV response.
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck, Head of the Department of Virology at Bonn University and Chairman of the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung Advisory Board, shared advancements in HIV prevention science, highlighting the potential of long-acting injectable PrEP as a game-changer. He advocated for adopting the "0-95-95-95-0" framework, which envisions zero new infections, 95% of people with HIV diagnosed, 95% on treatment, 95% achieving viral suppression, and zero discrimination as the pathway to ending the epidemic.
The Take the Rights Path report, presented by UNAIDS Chief of Staff Mahesh Mahalingam, outlined remarkable progress in the global HIV response. New HIV infections have fallen to their lowest levels since the late 1990s, AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 70% since 2004, and over 30 million people are now accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment, up from 13 million just a decade ago. However, Mahalingam emphasized persistent challenges, including the more than nine million people still lacking access to treatment. He warned of rising AIDS-related deaths and new infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine and human rights violations such as stigma, discrimination, and gender-based violence. He reiterated that a rights-based approach is crucial to overcoming these obstacles and achieving an AIDS-free world.
A deeply moving moment came when Stefa, a 22-year-old woman from Dnipro, Ukraine, shared her personal journey of resilience and hope. Stefa recounted her childhood in an orphanage, where she learned of her HIV status, and the discrimination she faced from her adoptive mother and peers. Despite being expelled from multiple schools and enduring harsh stigma, she persisted, finding community and support. When war broke out in Ukraine, Stefa fled to Berlin. She was among the eight Ukrainian participants of the Through Positive Eyes global photo-storytelling project, which empowers people living with HIV to tell their own stories through photography, fostering empathy and reducing stigma.
Now a graduate with a degree in ecology, Stefa uses photography as a means of self-expression and advocacy, stating, "I used to imagine myself confined within a cage, hiding my truth, but now I have revealed it to the world and feel like a bird flying in the sky."
The event also featured the premiere of Eyes on Ukraine, a documentary offering a profound exploration of the intersection of war and HIV. Through the Through Positive Eyes project, the film captures the resilience and activism of people living with HIV in Ukraine, including Yana Panfilova, a young activist who fled the war but continues her advocacy through the youth-led organization Teenergizer.
Richard Gere, the film’s executive producer, delivered a video message calling for global solidarity and urging leaders to uphold the fundamental right to health and dignity for all those affected by HIV and AIDS. "It is our right to have access to healthcare. And it is also our right to live free of the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. The Eyes on Ukraine film is at its core about these fundamental rights as experienced when HIV and war collide. I share this documentary and hope that it will make you more aware and also will make you want to do something," he said.
Through Positive Eyes is a collaborative photo-storytelling project by people living with HIV and AIDS in cities around the world. For more information, please visit ThroughPositiveEyes.org (opens in a new tab).
As the world prepares to mark World AIDS Day, the event delivered a powerful reminder of the critical work still needed to end AIDS by 2030. By placing human rights at the forefront, investing in innovative solutions, and amplifying the voices of those most affected, the global community can ensure that the ambitious goal of ending AIDS remains within reach.
For more information about the UNAIDS report and ongoing campaigns, visit https://rightspath.unaids.org/ (opens in a new tab).