Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Singh Patel addressed a high-level side event at the United Nations on the theme “Revitalised Multilateralism: Recommitting to Ending AIDS Together.” The event was organized by UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and PEPFAR.

In her intervention, the Minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The Minister outlined India’s progress and key strategies in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS, including the 5th phase of the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (2021-2026), fully funded by the Government of India.

As per the recent India HIV Estimations 2023 report, over 2.5 million people are living with HIV in India, but thanks to concerted efforts, the adult HIV prevalence is at 0.2% and estimated annual new HIV infections are at around 66,400. New annual HIV infections have decreased by 44% since 2010, outperforming the global reduction rate of 39%.

Anupriya pointed out that India offers comprehensive HIV and Syphilis testing to all pregnant women with more than 30 million free HIV tests being conducted annually. “In total, more than 1.7 million people are receiving free Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) through public healthcare systems”, she said.

The Minister urged for continued global cooperation, stating, “Breaking silos and building synergies is the mantra of the Government of India. Through collaboration, we will strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS and build a healthier world for all.”