Key Points
- UNAIDS called for urgent action on HIV prevention for women and girls.
- Women and girls in Sub-Saharan Africa face higher HIV risks than men.
- Global HIV funding cuts threaten progress in treatment and prevention.
UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Christine Stegling has called for urgent global action to protect women and girls from HIV amid shrinking resources.
She made this appeal at a high-level event hosted by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) during the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York.
Stegling emphasized that women and girls, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, remain disproportionately affected by HIV. Despite progress in reducing HIV infections by 69 percent since 1995, new infections among young women continue at alarming rates.
Women and girls face higher HIV risks
Stegling highlighted that in 2023, women and girls accounted for 62 percent of new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Each week, approximately 3,100 young women aged 15 to 24 contract HIV—three times more likely than their male peers. She described these figures as unacceptable and preventable.
She also warned that global funding cuts are jeopardizing access to life-saving treatment and prevention services.
Many HIV clinics are closing, forcing young women to face increased risks of gender-based violence and social exclusion.
Urgent investment needed to sustain progress
Stegling stressed that without increased investment, decades of progress in HIV prevention and gender equality could be reversed.
She called for the full implementation of CSW Resolution 60/2 and stronger accountability measures to ensure governments fulfill their commitments.
She also emphasized that education is key to reducing HIV rates. Studies show that keeping girls in school until secondary completion reduces their HIV risk by up to 50 percent. Several African countries are now implementing free secondary education policies to combat the crisis.
SADC leaders reaffirm commitment
Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Women Affairs, Mavis Sibanda, urged SADC countries to remain united in addressing HIV and gender inequality.
She warned that reductions in global HIV funding are putting millions of lives at risk, particularly women and girls.
She called for innovative approaches to implement CSW Resolution 60/2 and ensure gender-focused HIV financing. Sibanda emphasized the importance of placing young women at the center of HIV and gender-related interventions.
As the current SADC chair, Zimbabwe has pledged to push for stronger HIV and gender response measures within the regional bloc.
