109 months left to end AIDS by 2030 and deliver on all SDGs

By Dr. Ishwar Gilada, President, AIDS Society of India

The 34th World AIDS Day is observed globally on 1st December, 2021, which is a day to take stock of the situation that includes current scenario, mitigation strategies, what has been achieved and what is yet to be achieved and how best to move further. It is no more a day for candle-light vigils in the memory of departed souls due to HIV infections, as was to be observed during the initial several years.

India has made a commendable progress since April 7, 2004 when it began the roll-out of life-saving Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) for people living with HIV, but formidable challenges remain. India along with other nations worldwide missed meeting the target of zero discrimination by 2020. Zero discrimination milestone now has been shifted to 2030, albeit with a correction, “less than 10% discrimination by 2030.”

India has a golden opportunity to end HIV related discrimination by fully implementing the HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2017. AIDS Society of India (ASI) worked hard to call for the law for ending all forms of HIV related stigma and discrimination.

Now ASI is calling for ensuring that all social security measures which are part of our legal framework must be guaranteed to every person living with HIV so that progress towards HIV care and support be fully galvanised, to prevent the Act being termed as a ‘toothless Act.’

Even four years after the HIV / AIDS Act 2017 is in place, there are no appointments of State Ombudsman, which is a mandatory provision in the Act. We are yet to see a single prosecution under the provisions of this Act and it no way connotes that violations have not happened. In fact there is an urgent need to create awareness about existence of the Acts and its provisions.

PLHIV are denied mediclaim policies and they still mention HIV in exclusion criteria. Life Insurances have still provision to not allow PLHIV to take policies for insured sum more than Rs. 10 lakh. Despite ASI approaching the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and it agreeing to the issues raised by ASI, there is no headway.     

Despite the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, the transgender community continue to face denial and rejection in areas such as employment, health and public services.

Without bold action against inequalities, India as well as other countries in the world risks missing the targets to end AIDS by 2030.

This World AIDS Day, ASI resolves to spearhead the movement to address the stigma and discrimination against PLHIVs and getting the HIV/AIDS Act 2017 implemented in true sense.