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Every year on 1 December, UNESCO stands together with UNAIDS, co-sponsors and other partners for World AIDS Day.

While considerable progress has been made towards ending AIDS, the HIV epidemic remains an urgent threat. There are 39.9 million people living with HIV, out of which 9.3 million are still not accessing life-saving treatment. In 2023 alone, 1.3 million people were newly infected with HIV globally, including 570 girls and young women aged 15 to 24 acquiring HIV every day.  In at least 22 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, girls and women of this age group are three times more likely to be living with HIV than their male peers.

Yet, in all but four countries with available data in sub-Saharan Africa ¨C the region most affected by HIV ¨C fewer than half of adolescents and young people have comprehensive knowledge of HIV.

Education for health and well-being is a powerful tool that can help reduce new HIV infections. When young people are educated, informed and empowered, healthy and more equal communities are created ¨C key to ending AIDS. Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is essential for young people to be able to protect themselves from HIV. It also helps young people avoid unintended pregnancy and other sexually transmitted infections, encourages them to seek out health-related information and services, promotes values of tolerance, mutual respect and non-violence in relationships, and supports a safe transition into adulthood.

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This year, World AIDS Day places human rights at the centre under the theme: Take the rights path. The substantial progress that has been made in the HIV response is directly linked to progress in protecting human rights. But gaps in the realization of human rights for all are keeping the world from getting on the path that ends AIDS and are hurting public health.

Ending AIDS requires that we reach and engage everyone who is living with, at risk for or affected by HIV ¨C especially including people who have been most excluded and marginalized. Gender equality and education are essential elements of an approach to AIDS that is grounded in human rights. Acceptance, respect and care are vital. Laws, policies and practices that punish, discriminate against or stigmatize people ¨C because they are women or girls, or from key populations, or from other marginalized communities ¨C obstruct access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.