More than 18.2 million people worldwide are receiving treatment for HIV, placing the United Nations on track to achieve the goal of reaching 30 million HIV-positive people by 2020. In just six months of this year, an additional 1 million HIV-positive people worldwide accessed treatment.
But inequality gaps for treatment and funding are widening across populations and in certain geographic areas, according to Michel Sidibé, the executive director of UNAIDS. Progress is not happening at the same pace everywhere, he said, speaking at U.N. Headquarters one day before World AIDS Day. Some pockets of persistent pockets of vulnerability remain and others are emerging.
“In West Africa and Central Africa 1 out of 5 people have access to treatment. We are failing to make sure that we can have the same pace in increasing treatment to this region. We should not make that mistake,” he said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.