UNDP, Pakistan renew call to end AIDS amid global disruptions

World marks AIDS Day with UNDP’s global warning and Pakistan’s call to strengthen health systems

ISLAMABAD: As the world observes World AIDS Day 2025 under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response,” global and national leaders have issued renewed warnings — and renewed hope — for ending AIDS as a public health threat.

Global perspective: Progress at risk, but promise ahead

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), decades of progress have equipped the world with the tools needed to defeat AIDS. Yet this progress is now threatened by shrinking financing, conflict, climate shocks, widening inequality, and persistent stigma.

UNDP noted that no country was on track to meet the Triple 10 Targets by 2025, aimed at ending stigma, discrimination, gender-based violence and punitive laws that limit access to HIV prevention and treatment. Emerging data shows rising infections in several regions, especially among key populations.

Still, UNDP emphasized that the history of HIV is one of resilience and community leadership. Countries like Namibia, Angola, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan were highlighted for rights-based reforms, digital health tools, and community-centered models expanding access to testing, information, and treatment.

A major global highlight is the partnership enabling generic long-acting lenacapavir to be offered for USD 40 per year across 120 low- and middle-income countries by 2027 — described as a breakthrough that can “transform the prevention landscape” if structural barriers are removed.

Pakistan’s position: Stigma reduction and system strengthening

In Pakistan, where an estimated 330,000 people are living with HIV, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a national message calling for changing public attitudes, expanding access to treatment, and strengthening health systems.

He described HIV as a test of global and national public health capacities, stressing that tackling stigma and ensuring compassionate attitudes remain essential to prevention and care.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif outlined priority areas for Pakistan’s response, including:

• Improving treatment access for high-risk groups
• Preventing mother-to-child transmission
• Ensuring safe blood transfusions
• Reducing HIV spread among people who use injectable drugs
• Ending gender-based discrimination in healthcare

The prime minister reaffirmed that protection of health is a fundamental right, and that Pakistan’s AIDS response must be rooted in empathy, innovation, and system-wide investment.

Connecting national progress: Sindh leads with community-centered action

Marking the day locally, the Bridge Consultants Foundation (BCF) organized a high-impact event in Karachi, where experts, media professionals and people living with HIV came together for solidarity and awareness.

Dr Ghulam Ali Bozdar, Deputy Director CDC-I, shared updates showing that Sindh leads Pakistan’s HIV response, with the province taking full ownership as donor funding declines. He highlighted:

• A fully government-run surveillance system
• 34 operational ART centers with planned expansions
• Approval of the essential drug list for HIV treatment
• Integration of social mobilizers for programme sustainability

Speakers emphasized modern, stigma-free HIV services, mental health inclusion, improved nutrition support, and the urgent role of digital health journalism in reducing discrimination.

The ceremony concluded with a solidarity walk, reinforcing the message echoing across the globe today: ending AIDS is possible — but only through resilient systems, equitable access, and community leadership.

Stay informed and protect your health!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN Medical News Pakistan on WhatsApp for expert tips, health updates, and the latest medical research straight to your phone.