Virus long-term impact can lead to AIDS-related deaths: UN

United Nations, December 1

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has created additional setbacks for the global AIDS response and there could be an estimated 123,000-293,000 additional new HIV infections and 69,000-148,000 additional AIDS-related deaths between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic’s long-term impact, according to a new report.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said in its new report ‘Prevailing against pandemics by putting people at the centre’ that as Covid-19 pushes the AIDS response even further off track and the 2020 targets are missed, countries must learn from the lessons of underinvesting in health and to step up global action to end AIDS and other pandemics. The UNAIDS is calling on countries to make investments in global pandemic responses and adopt a new set of ambitious but achievable HIV targets. If those targets are met, the world will be back on track to ending AIDS by 2030. — PTI