New HIV Prevention & Accountability reports developed by Frontline AIDS and partners in nine countries across Africa shows that, while governments have made important progress in reducing the number of people newly acquiring HIV, most countries are still not close enough to achieving the 2030 HIV prevention targets.
Reductions in new HIV infections are not decreasing fast enough with the number of new HIV infections in 2022 almost 1.3 million, well over the target of 370,000. Women and girls continue to be disproportionally affected by HIV – 3,100 girls aged 15-24 in Africa acquire HIV every single week. There has also been a rise in new infections among key populations and marginalised groups.
Frontline AIDS, the largest global civil society partnership working on HIV in the world, has been an active member of the UNAIDS Global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC) since its inception, voicing the need for stronger accountability and transparency on HIV prevention.
The HIV Prevention & Accountability reports offer insights from civil society and communities on the status of HIV prevention in nine African nations: Angola, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Developed collaboratively with 119 partners within these countries, the reports provide a firsthand account of the realities on the ground.
This work was done as part of the United for Prevention programme, which supports civil society and community networks and coalitions to hold governments and other stakeholders to account on their national and global HIV prevention commitments, as outlined in the UN Declaration of HIV/AIDS and the Global HIV Prevention 2025 Road Map.
True accountability MUST involve the people whose lives are most affected by HIV. This is why Frontline AIDS has supported civil society and the most marginalised populations to engage around the GPC, because people’s lives are shaped by the commitments that countries make to bodies such as the GPC.
The HIV Prevention and Accountability reports were completed by coalitions of civil society and community networks in each country. These coalitions led the data collection, ensuring that the experiences, concerns and voices of the most marginalised are heard and documented. In most countries, the coalitions include South to South Learning Network (SSLN) champions, who fed into this process.
Countries' failure to meet these targets for HIV prevention remains a serious challenge. As we get closer to 2030, the reports highlight multiple challenges and threats to national HIV prevention responses that need to be addressed.
A growing anti-rights movement, criminalisation of key populations and decreasing civic space
The reports show a growth of a well-funded and organised anti-rights movement which has led to the increasingly aggressive criminalisation of key populations in some countries. Worryingly, 7 out of 9 countries criminalize same-sex relations, while laws restricting civic space have been passed in 6 out of the 9 countries. This alarming trend is creating an increasingly hostile environment for key populations. Civil society and community organisations carrying out advocacy and providing life-saving HIV prevention, treatment and care services are also increasingly restricted in their activities.
Limited access to HIV prevention essentials, such as condoms
The anti-rights movement is also affecting access to HIV prevention essentials, such as comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), HIV testing, as well as restricting young people’s access to condoms and other forms of contraceptives. The reports indicate that in 8 out of 9 countries, condoms are not offered in schools, while only 4 out of 9 countries – Angola, Eswatini, Mozambique and Uganda – allow adolescents (aged 12+) to access HIV testing without parental consent.
Lack of domestic financing for HIV prevention
The lack of domestic financing for HIV prevention also remains a concern. None of the 9 countries have come close to meeting the Abuja declaration target of 15% of national funding going to health, raising serious sustainability concerns for HIV prevention efforts. Moreover, the limited engagement of civil society and communities in national decision-making spaces, coupled with a lack of transparent, inclusive accountability mechanisms to monitor progress and track investments, is also hindering progress.
Civil society and community networks are at the forefront of national HIV prevention responses, not only providing services, but demanding improvements and calling for more targeted investments. It is essential their voices are heard and prioritised within these discussions. Only by working together can we ensure that AIDS is ended for everyone, everywhere.
If you want to hear more, listen to this podcast exploring the reports and our partners’ perspectives in more detail.
