Melita Vujnovic, the WHO Special Representative in Russia, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified issues related to AIDS. She added that only half of the children worldwide infected with HIV are receiving the treatment they need, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and made situations more difficult. This was mentioned in a greeting message sent by the WHO Special Representative to the participants of the Eighth Russian Forum for Specialists in HIV Prevention and Treatment.
In the message, she noted: "Children belong to the most vulnerable segments of the population where the global status of the HIV epidemic can be illustrated. Currently, only 52 percent of children living with HIV receive life-saving treatment. There is much talk about the slowdown in progress against AIDS worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but even before the pandemic, not all population groups had the same access to testing, prevention, treatment, and care services, and this disparity has increased during the pandemic."
The WHO representative expressed confidence that the issues of economic and social inequality must be urgently addressed. She stated that inequalities increase risks for everyone under pandemic conditions. This is why the World Health Organization is making this appeal. She emphasized that HIV and AIDS continue to pose a public health threat, adding, "We have only 8 years left to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030."
