AP: On World AIDS Day, South Africa finds hope in new treatment
“Health officials are hoping that new, long-acting drugs to help prevent HIV infection will be a turning point for the fight against a global health threat that’s been eclipsed by the coronavirus pandemic. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the new drug in a weekly newsletter, saying the long-term acting and injectable HIV drug has ‘the potential to significantly strengthen our response to the epidemic.’ The region is especially hard-hit. South Africa has the biggest epidemic in the world with 7.7 million people living with HIV, according to UNAIDS…” (Magome, 12/1).

Devex: Q&A: Putting AIDS back on the priority list in Asia
“HIV/AIDS may have fallen off the priority list for many countries and international bodies with the arrival of COVID-19, but advocacy for adequately funded responses must continue, according to Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, president of the International AIDS Society. … Speaking to Devex, she provided insight into what an HIV testing and preventive strategy looks like in Asia, the need for a holistic approach, and what it will take to end the epidemic in the region…” (11/30).

DW: Coronavirus pandemic slows Africa’s progress against HIV
“…U.N. analysts estimate that the global coronavirus outbreak could cause 290,000 people to contract HIV worldwide. They project that an additional 148,000 people could die from AIDS. Several factors account for this projected spike. One is that HIV patients are avoiding hospitals. Another has to do with sexual violence. … The health care systems in many African countries were already struggling with a shortage of doctors and nurses. The coronavirus pandemic is now exerting further pressure on these systems…” (Pelz, 12/1).

U.N. News: U.N. urges ‘global solidarity, shared responsibility’ against pandemics, marking World AIDS Day
“The United Nations is commemorating World AIDS Day, on Tuesday, with a call for ‘global solidarity and shared responsibility’ to overcome not only COVID-19, but also AIDS — another global pandemic that is still with us nearly 40 years after it emerged. In a message, Secretary-General António Guterres urged the world to not lose sight of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. … Mr. Guterres highlighted the impact of inequalities, leaving the vulnerable most affected, a fact evidenced by the coronavirus pandemic…” (12/1).