World AIDS Day

  United Towards ending AIDS. * Countries in the Middle East and North Africa were engaged through UNAIDS offices in eastern and southern Africa and in western and central Africa.  ** Approximately 93 country governments and 360 civil society organizations were consulted during this period. Consultations continued subsequently.

Communities are the driving force of the HIV response . People living with HIV and those most affected, including key populations bring the insight, courage, and innovation needed to overcome today’s challenges. When these communities join forces with health workers, policymakers, and partners, new pathways to success emerge, built on trust, equity and shared purpose .

The fight against HIV has never been easy, yet resilience and innovation continue to define the response. As global fundin g falters, advances like long-acting lenacapavir – a six-monthly injection to prevent HIV, remind us that progress continues. With commitment and creativity, we can ensure that lifesaving long acting antiretrovirals for prevention and treatment reach those in most need

  Lenacapavir or LEN are new drug WHO recommends to protect people at risk of HIV.

 Key populations, or key populations at higher risk, are groups of people who are more likely to be exposed to HIV or transmit it and whose engagement is critically important for a successful HIV response. In all countries, key populations include people living with HIV. In most settings, men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs and sex workers and their clients are at higher risk of exposure to HIV than other groups. However, each country should define the specific populations that are key to their epidemic and response based on the epidemiological and social context. UNAIDS considers gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers and their clients, transgender people and people who inject drugs as the four main key population groups. These populations often suffer from punitive laws or stigmatizing policies, and they are among the most likely to be exposed to HIV. Their engagement is critical to a successful HIV response everywhere—they are...