In the fight against HIV, we are at a crucial stage. With the massive scale-up of antiretroviral treatment, we are saving millions of lives, but the total number of new HIV infections is still unacceptably high: 1.7 million people became infected with HIV in 2018.

Axar.az reports citing Devex that in addition, 1 in 3 people living with HIV present to care with advanced disease, at low CD4 counts, and at high risk of serious illness and death. There have been many successes, but the world will not meet the UNAIDS targets of fewer than 500,000 people infected per year by 2020 and fewer than 500,000 deaths.

We are at a crunch point in the fight against HIV. Back in 2015, the world made a commitment to end the epidemic by 2030. We can deliver on this promise, but only if we act now and together step up the fight.