Global Celebrities Rally Behind UNAIDS Call For Human Rights To End AIDS Pandemic

New York, NY – Sixteen global celebrities are lending their voices to UNAIDS’ urgent call for world leaders to prioritize human rights in the fight against AIDS.

The campaign, titled “Take the rights path to end AIDS,” highlights the critical link between human rights protection and the success of efforts to eradicate the pandemic.

The star-studded lineup includes Hollywood actors Luke Evans and Uzo Aduba, singer Sia, comedian Margaret Cho, and a diverse group of international talent such as Alok Vaid-Menon, Tan France, Alan Cumming, Stephen Fry, OUM, Thuso Mbedu, Huang Xiaoming, Racheal Kundananji, Mawaan Rizwan, Pia Wurtzbach, Vera Brezhneva, and Erkin Ryzkullbekov.

Their support underscores a stark reality revealed in the UNAIDS report: human rights violations are significantly hindering progress in ending AIDS.

The report notes that 63 countries still criminalize LGBTQ+ individuals, driving them underground and limiting their access to vital HIV prevention and treatment services.

“When LGBTQ+ people are criminalized, they are driven underground and out of reach of health services, including services to prevent and treat HIV,” stated Alok Vaid-Menon.

Stephen Fry added, “The choice is clear if we want to end AIDS as a public health threat. World leaders must take the right path to protect people’s right to health and life.”

The report also emphasises the disproportionate impact on women and girls. Discrimination, including limited access to education and protection from gender-based violence, leaves them particularly vulnerable.

In sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, women and girls accounted for a staggering 62% of new HIV infections.

Margaret Cho succinctly summarized the issue: “We all win the fight against AIDS when human rights and the right to health are secured for everyone everywhere.”

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, stressed the urgency of the situation: “When girls cannot get access to education and information when young women cannot access HIV prevention and testing, they are put at much greater risk of acquiring HIV.”

The alarming statistic of 1.3 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2023 – three times the global target for 2025 – underscores the need for immediate action.

The UNAIDS report concludes that ending AIDS as a public health threat is achievable, but only if the human rights of those living with or affected by HIV are fully respected, protected, and fulfilled, ensuring equitable and accessible healthcare services.

The celebrities’ powerful endorsement amplifies this critical message, urging global leaders to prioritize human rights as the cornerstone of a successful AIDS eradication strategy.