Vice-President Suica delivers a keynote speech for the High Level event: "Celebrating Global HIV Progress to End AIDS and Advance the SDGs" organized by UNAIDS and co-hosted by Botswana, the USA and the European Commission

VP Suica delivers a keynote speech for the High Level event

Distinguished Guests,

Dear Colleagues,

I am deeply honoured to co-host this event – together with UNAIDS and the governments of Botswana and the United States.

For those of us old enough to recall the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, it can be truly staggering to consider how far we've come.

In the 1980s, AIDS was a mystery virus that rapidly became one of the top threats to public health.

Today, bringing an end to AIDS altogether is within reach.

In the 1980s, HIV essentially amounted to a death-sentence.

Today, thanks to antiretroviral therapy, people who are HIV positive can lead long lives without ever developing AIDS.

In the 1980s, AIDS inspired fear and stigma, even in the medical community.

Today, HIV education, awareness, and prevention efforts span the globe.

We have much cause for celebration today, and so many lessons we can leverage in the quest to fight other diseases.

But first, we must finish what we started.

Despite all our progress, HIV/AIDS remains a major public health challenge in some parts of the world.

So, we are all called to act.

The EU believes three criteria are essential to make progress on HIV.

First, our response must be comprehensive.

It must encompass not only the latest medical advances, but also the social, economic, and political reforms necessary to ensure people have access to information and services for prevention and treatment.

Universal access to prevention and treatment remains our North Star, and I'd like to thank the many civil society members and activists present today for their leadership in these efforts.

Second, we must embrace a human-rights based response.

I am convinced that winning the fight against HIV is closely linked to advancing the rights of women, girls, young people, key populations and other marginalised groups.

We must work together to combat discrimination, including via addressing legal issues and ensuring equitable access to information and services.

Finally, we must do everything we can to strengthen broader health systems.

This includes helping partners mobilise domestic resources.

It also means promoting health systems that deliver person-centered quality care.

Disease-specific programmes should be combined with health system strengthening and universal health coverage.

The EU also remains committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights in the context of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and the outcomes of their review conferences.

The EU actively supports each of these areas.

Our new Global Health Strategy positions global health as an essential pillar of EU external policy.

Toward that end, we recently committed a record EUR 715 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

We also contributed EUR 125 million to the World Health Organization for the Universal Health Coverage Partnership and USD 450 million to the new Pandemic Fund.

Of course, we also continue to work hand-in-hand with countries around the world to promote health and wellbeing.

For example, the EU and its Member States have launched a Team Europe Initiative together with African partners aimed at advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Dear Friends,

The Covid-19 pandemic reminded us of the critical role health plays not just in our personal lives, but also in our societies.

I hope the international community seizes this opportunity to renew our commitment to not just fighting HIV and AIDS, but also increasing health and wellbeing for all.

It is our shared responsibility to ensure that our discussion here in New York result in transformative and sustainable change for the people we serve…

Whether they live our home countries, or in other parts of the world.