UNAIDS reports 630,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023

Last year, 570 young women and girls aged 15 to 24 were infected with HIV every day.

GENEVA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A new report from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) revealed on Tuesday that AIDS-related illnesses claimed 630,000 lives last year, while 1.3 million people worldwide were newly infected with HIV.

The 2024 World AIDS Day report emphasized the importance of taking the "rights path to end AIDS" and reaffirmed the global commitment to eliminating AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

According to the report, about 39.9 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2023 -- an increase of 900,000 compared to 2022. Despite advances in treatment, 9.3 million people still lack access to life-saving therapies, and the number of new HIV infections is rising in at least 28 countries.

The report highlights a stark gender disparity among young people. Last year, 570 young women and girls aged 15 to 24 were infected with HIV every day. In 22 countries across eastern and southern Africa, females in this age group are about three times more likely to be living with HIV than their male counterparts.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima stressed that human rights violations, including barriers to education for young women and impunity for gender-based violence, continue to hinder progress in ending AIDS. "To protect everyone's health, we need to protect everyone's rights," she said.

Alexandra Calmy, head of HIV services at Geneva University Hospital, underscored the urgency of making innovative therapeutic and preventive options universally accessible. ■