New modeling shows that if program coverage is cut in half, an additional 1.1 million children could contract HIV and 820,000 more could die from AIDS-related causes by 2040—pushing the total number of children to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths.
Even maintaining current service levels will still result in 1.9 million new infections and 990,000 AIDS-related deaths among children by 2040 because of the slow progress.
“The world made progress in the HIV response, but persistent gaps remained, even before steep global funding cuts disrupted services,” said Anurita Bains, UNICEF’s associate director for HIV and AIDS.
“While countries moved quickly to mitigate the impact of the funding cuts, ending AIDS in children is at risk without focused action. The choice is clear – invest today or risk reversing decades of progress and losing millions of young lives.”
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According to the latest 2024 data, before funding cuts disrupted services globally, 120,000 children aged 0-14 contracted HIV and 75,000 died from AIDS-related causes, equivalent to around 200 child deaths every day.
Among young people aged 15-19, 150,000 contracted HIV, about two-thirds of them girls, with girls accounting for 85 percent of new infections in this age group in sub-Saharan Africa. Only 55 percent of children living with HIV received antiretroviral treatment, compared to 78 percent of adults, leaving an estimated 620,000 children without treatment.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the heaviest burden, accounting for 88 percent of children living with HIV and more than 80 percent of new infections and AIDS-related child deaths.
Concerns about judicial independence in Pakistan
Pakistan’s latest constitutional amendment, adopted without broad consultation, undermines the independence of the judiciary and raises serious concerns about military accountability and the rule of law, warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
The amendment was passed on November 13 and creates a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) to hear constitutional cases, effectively stripping the Supreme Court of that role.
It is also reviewing judicial appointments and transfers, raising concerns about judicial independence since the president — on the prime minister’s advice — has already appointed the FCC’s first chief justice and judges.
“These changes together risk subjecting the judiciary to political interference and executive control,” Mr Türk said. “Neither the executive nor the legislature should be able to control or direct the judiciary, and the judiciary should be protected from any form of political influence in its decision-making.”
Erosion of checks and balances
The amendment also establishes lifetime immunity from criminal prosecution and arrest for the president, field marshal, air marshal and admiral of the navy, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported.
“Sweeping immunity provisions such as these undermine accountability, which is a cornerstone of the human rights framework and democratic control of the armed forces under the rule of law,” said the UN human rights chief.
More anti-discrimination laws are needed to support minorities
“Diversity is our earliest teacher,” UN human rights chief Volker Türk said at the opening of the Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva on Thursday.
The forum acts as a global platform for issues concerning ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.
Thursday’s discussion focused on the root causes of exclusion, discrimination and intergroup tensions.
Legal protection rolled back
Mr. Türk lamented that minorities continue to be disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment and homelessness.
“We are seeing land grabs and displacement, cultural suppression and even forced evictions from ancestral homes and lands to make way for tourism and trade,” he said.
He added that even in democratic countries, some governments are withdrawing legal protections, scaling back quotas for participation, and employing and authorizing raids and surveillance.
The digital sphere is no better. About 70 percent of those affected by hate speech on social media tend to belong to minority groups, he continued.
Combating discrimination and hatred
To break the “vicious” cycle of discrimination and hatred, more anti-discrimination laws must be adopted, Mr. Türk stressed, adding that less than a quarter of countries have such legislation.
In addition, minorities must be invited to participate in politics and the workplace, human rights should be included in educational curricula and minority rights defenders must be protected, he added.
Finally, he called for investment in reliable data systems to hold accountable those who violate the rights of minorities.
