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Mayors de Blasio and Hidalgo: Why cities hold the key to fighting AIDS

Posted on June 16, 2016

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/16/cities-fighting-aids-new-york-paris-improve-testing-treatment

Mayors de Blasio and Hidalgo: Why cities hold the key to fighting AIDS

"Cities will determine the outcome of the fight to end Aids. Of the 35 million people living with HIV around the world, more than a quarter reside in urban hotspots affected by the pandemic. And in many major cities, over half of all people live without access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

Urban strategies and actions are central to ending the Aids epidemic by 2030. This goal is ambitious but achievable and necessary. Cities are already demonstrating leadership.

There have been seismic changes in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, London, New York, San Francisco and Vancouver – all are close to reaching the so-called 90–90–90 treatment targets: namely that by 2020, 90% of all people with HIV will know their status; 90% of those people will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will maintain viral suppression.

Paris has made huge progress in this regard, in part by implementing a collective and inclusive strategy built on strong political leadership and years of active engagement in the HIV/Aids response."

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