The sixty-sixth session of the Regional Committee endorsed the document “HIV/AIDS: Framework for action in the WHO African Region 2016–2020”. The framework is designed to guide Member States in implementing the Global health sector strategy on HIV, 2016–2021. It describes actions to accelerate HIV prevention and treatment interventions in the African Region towards ending the AIDS epidemic. The actions proposed include prioritizing HIV prevention, expanding HIV testing services using diversified approaches and scaling up antiretroviral therapy by adopting innovative service delivery models.
WHO is a cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS). Within UNAIDS, WHO leads activities on HIV treatment and care, HIV and tuberculosis coinfection, and jointly coordinates work on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV with UNICEF.
Key populations
Key populations and their sexual partners accounted for over half of all new infections (an estimated 54%) for the first time in 2018.
Key populations include: men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, people in prisons and other closed settings, sex workers and their clients, and transgender people. They are at increased risk of HIV infection irrespective of epidemic type or local context.
Key populations, their clients and sexual partners accounted for 64% of new HIV infections in West and Central Africa, and for 25% of new HIV infections in the East and Southern African subregion. Key populations and their partners accounted for around 95% of new HIV infections in eastern Europe and central Asia and in the Middle East and North Africa in 2018.
Key populations often face legal and social barriers that increase their vulnerability to HIV and impede their access to prevention, testing and treatment programmes.
These populations historically have not received adequate priority in the response to the HIV epidemic, especially in countries with generalized HIV epidemics.
The five key populations defined by WHO and UN partners deserve particular and specific attention. In the African Region, these populations face structural barriers to services that compound their risk exposure – barriers such as laws that criminalize their behaviour, stigma, discrimination and violence.
There are gaps in the programming of HIV services as measured against WHO recommendations. The gaps are particularly evident for transgender people, people who inject drugs and prisoners. Overall, national strategic plans pay little specific attention to young members of key populations.