As we celebrate the World Aids Day, today, 1st December 2021, it is imperative that we recognise the progress that Zambia has made in addressing HIV and Aids. We should then ask ourselves “what more can we do?” to work towards achieving the global goal of ending HIV by 2030.
The theme for this year is End Inequalities. End Aids. End Pandemics.
End Inequalities.
Source of the picture: https://citinewsroom.com/2021/12/lets-end-aids-by-ending-gender-based-violence-hffg-and-yhag/
United Nations human rights bodies have stated that inequality should be seen and acted on as a central human rights concern. [1] It can come in many forms including poverty, gender, ethnicity, education, and geography. Some populations are especially affected by inequality because of intersectionality, such as being poor and female, or living in a rural area and being disabled. Under this sub-theme, we may identify the inequalities that exist in our society, and establish how these propagate HIV and Aids or indeed how HIV and Aids exacerbates them. We may then ask “how is the law attempting to address these inequalities?”
End Aids.
Source of the picture:https://www.afro.who.int/news/zimbabwe-hiv-patient-monitoring-and-case-based-surveillance-leveraging-data-end-aids-2030
Zambia has made progress in the HIV response. According to UNAIDS, annual HIV infections (for all ages) in Zambia have declined from 60,000 in 2010 to 51,000 in 2019[2]. This has been aided, in part, by laws such as the Constitution[3], Gender Equity and Equality Act[4] and the Penal Code Act[5]. Other interventions include the introduction of Comprehensive Sexual Education into the school curriculum in 2014 and the development of the National HIV and Aids Strategic Framework 2017 – 2021.
Zambia is now working towards achieving the United Nations Fast-Track strategy to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. To reach this goal, we need to ask “amongst all the interventions we have put in place, what is working, and what more can we do?” In terms of “what more we can do”, we may identify best practice in other countries which we can adopt.
End Pandemics.
Source:UNAIDS
Under this subtheme, we can explore how the Corona Virus pandemic has impacted the fight against HIV and Aids and how combating HIV and Aids will ultimately aid in addressing the Corona Virus and other pandemics.
A comprehensive article discussing Zambia’s legal framework on the issues raised in this paper will be published on Wednesday, 8th December, 2021.
We are keen to hear your thoughts on this reflection, and on this years’ World Aids Day Theme. Please share them with us on our online platforms:
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FOOT NOTES
[1] Inequality a prominent concern for UN human rights monitors retrieved from https://www.universal-rights.org/by-invitation/inequality-a-prominent-concern-for-un-human-rights-monitors/ on 1/12/21
[2] HIV/Aids Program retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/zambia/hivaids on 1/12/21
[3] Chapter 1 of the Laws of Zambia
[4] Act No. 22 of 2015
[5] Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia