As the focus in the UN changes from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to celebrate the Goals that have been achieved,
When the MDGs were established, the world was gripped in a swiftly spreading AIDS pandemic that was spiraling out of control. MDG6 was established not to eliminate AIDS, but to halt and reverse its spread. An announcement was released yesterday by UNAIDS that “new HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million (7.8 million) AIDS-related deaths since 2000, when the MDGs were set.”
Not only have numbers of infections fallen, but stigma around HIV/AIDS has been broken down. There is still a long way to go for total de-stigmatization and eradication of HIV/AIDs, but these goals have been achieved 6 months ahead of schedule. This lays the groundwork for a successful future as attention turns to the SDGs at the end of this year.
One of the most notable achievements has come with developments surrounding children living with HIV. During the last 15 years, access to antiretroviral therapy for women with HIV rose 73% and new infections among children dropped 58%. Find more information on the statistics and facts surrounding the accomplishments made over the course of the MDGs.
Read UNAID’s full report on how exactly these goals were reached, with heartwarming stories and resources.