ECOM — Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity — was one of the initiators of a regional letter in support of the preservation of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The letter was sent to the UN Secretary-General in response to the announcement of the planned closure of UNAIDS by the end of 2026.
“UNAIDS has always stood with us in advocating for the rights to health and dignity in society for LGBT people. We risk losing a reliable ally, especially at a time when donors are leaving the region for good and national governments are unwilling to fund HIV programs for our communities,” noted ECOM’s Executive Director Vitaly Djuma.
The regional letter was signed by leading civil society networks and organizations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The letter emphasizes the key role of UNAIDS in coordinating the global response to HIV, and ensuring collaboration between governments, international institutions, and communities.
According to UNAIDS, the number of new HIV cases continues to rise in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with approximately 140,000 new infections recorded in 2023 — a 20% increase since 2010. The epidemic is concentrated among key populations who already face stigma, criminalization, and barriers to accessing services.
“In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where shrinking civic space and punitive policies continue to endanger lives, the independent voice and normative authority of UNAIDS is essential. We need a reformed, fit-for-purpose and resilient UNAIDS, not a dismantled one,” states the letter.
ECOM calls on UN member states and international donors to support the continued mandate and funding of UNAIDS to prevent a backsliding in the global and regional fight against HIV.
