Leave No One Behind

HIV/AIDS is a global problem that is ever present and a threat faced by people all over the world. While it is impossible to eradicate the epidemic in the short term， there are actions people can take to help those living with HIV/AIDS.

Despite the giant leaps made in raising awareness of people living with HIV/AIDS， the stigma and discrimination shown toward this group in society is as old as the epidemic itself and still very much present worldwide.

Stigma signifies the negative stereotype and discrimination is the behavior that comes from this negative stereotype.

There are many examples of discrimination， but the most prevalent include harassment and judgment， being rejected by family， friends and the workplace， and being treated without respect when seeking medical care and schooling and education.

While it is obvious world governments must all do more to provide health services to their citizens living with HIV/AIDS and remove laws that feed these stereotypes， it is the whole society that can play a major role in demanding that those who are victims of discrimination be protected.

China has made strides in removing discrimination by supporting non-governmental organizations （NGO） to spearhead their efforts， understanding that NGOs could better deliver testing and treatment services to hard-to-reach groups in remote areas. But apart from this， other important milestones are being made.

In August this year， the International Labor Organization welcomed the first known ruling in China by a court that said employers who ban employees from the workplace because of their HIV status are acting in a discriminatory manner and therefore act unlawfully.

In addition， an important area of progress in the last decade was lifting the ban limiting people living with HIV/AIDS coming into China. This step toward ending discrimination sends positive signals to the country and the global community.

In Africa， the epidemic has been a major problem since first reported. The eastern and southern regions of the continent are the worst affected， with a total of 19.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS， more than 50 percent of the worlds total， according to UNAIDS. South Africa， Lesotho and Botswana are the worst off.

Yet UNAIDS says that despite the ongoing severity of the epidemic in these regions， much progress has been made to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. In 2016， 76 percent of all people living with HIV know their status； 79 percent of all diagnosed with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy； and 83 percent of all people accessing antiretroviral therapy achieve viral suppression - keeping the amount of HIV in the blood very low. In addition， South Africa now fully funds its HIV/AIDS programs.

The persistence of stigma and discrimination works to undermine any progress made toward ending the epidemic. This is because it consciously discourages people from getting voluntary HIV testing and therapy. In so doing， discrimination limits their access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment.

Ultimately， the goal must be to strive for societies that promote dignity for all - and this is only possible if the values of inclusion and social justice for all the estimated 36.7 million people globally living with HIV are upheld. In the end no one must be left behind.