Statement by Minister Bibeau on World AIDS Day

December 1, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today issued the following statement:

“On World AIDS Day, I would like to take a moment to celebrate how far we have come since the days when an AIDS diagnosis meant certain death. Today, approximately 18.2 million HIV-positive people around the world have access to life-saving treatment, compared to 770,000 in 2000. We need to sustain that momentum and answer the call by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS to fast-track our efforts so that we can end AIDS for good by 2030.

“To reach that ambitious goal, we will have to focus on prevention. In 2015, an estimated 2.1 million people—including 150,000 children—were newly infected with HIV. So the fight is far from over. We need to reach out to those most at risk, prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and address stigma, fear and discrimination, especially among key populations, such as men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs. We also need to increase access to HIV testing because some 40 percent of people carrying the HIV virus simply don’t know they are.

“And that is not all. To end AIDS for good, we must also address the particular challenges that young women face. The transition to womanhood is a dangerous time for girls: gender inequality and lack of respect for human rights, as well as harmful social norms, create a perfect storm for many young women. We need to empower women and girls around the world by affirming their sexual and reproductive health and rights. I will continue to say it loud and clear: empowered women and girls are better able to advocate for themselves, navigate risky situations and access the services they need.

“Canada is supporting efforts in all of these areas, but we cannot do it alone. At the replenishment conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Montréal, Quebec, in September, we showed what we can do when we come together—governments, civil society, the private sector, academia and concerned communities. Together we raised enough to save 8 million more lives.

“Together we proved that it can be done. On World AIDS Day, let us all commit to putting an end to HIV/AIDS for good.”

Contacts

Bernard Boutin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-5977
bernard.boutin@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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