The Special Representative of the World Health Organization in Russia Melita Vujnovic said that the “COVID-19” pandemic has exacerbated the AIDS-related situation.
He added that only half of the world’s children living with HIV get the care they need, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequality and made matters even more difficult. This is stated in a greeting message sent by the Special Representative of the World Health Organization in Russia, Melita Voinovich, to the participants of the 8th Russian Forum for specialists in HIV prevention and treatment.
The greeting read: “Children belong to the most vulnerable populations where the global HIV epidemic can be demonstrated. To date, only 52% of HIV-infected children receive life-saving treatment. We talk a lot. Progress in the fight against AIDS has slowed worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but even before the advent of COVID-19, not all population groups had equal access to HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care services , and increased this disparity during the epidemic period.
The WHO delegate expressed her confidence that the problem of economic and social inequality needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency. In the context of the pandemic, you said, inequality increases the risks for everyone. That’s why the World Health Organization is making this appeal.
He stressed that HIV and AIDS still pose a threat to public health. “We have only 8 years to reach the goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030,” she added.
