A high-level panel at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council has called for urgent legal reforms, warning that punitive laws and discrimination are hindering global efforts to combat the HIV epidemic. The discussion, held at the Palais des Nations, emphasized that ending AIDS requires more than medical treatment it demands the protection of human rights.
“The evidence is undeniable: stigma, discrimination, and punitive laws are driving the HIV epidemic,” President and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Monash University Malaysia and a leading global expert on HIV/AIDS. said Prof. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, “If we are committed to ending AIDS, we must decriminalize, adequately fund HIV programs, and uphold human dignity.”
The panel highlighted that marginalized communities people who use drugs, sex workers, LGBTQ+ individuals, and prisoners continue to bear the brunt of the epidemic. These groups face not only higher infection rates but also systemic exclusion from healthcare due to criminalization.
Statistics presented during the session underscored the impact of decriminalization on public health outcomes, in countries where drug use is not criminalized, knowledge of HIV status is 15% higher, and new infections are 5% lower, Decriminalizing sex work is associated with a 10% higher knowledge of status and a 4.5% reduction in new infections.
LGBTQ+ communities in countries without criminalization laws have a 7.6% higher knowledge of status and a 3% lower HIV incidence rate.
“These numbers represent real people mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends,” Prof. Kamarulzaman stressed. “Our policies either save lives or sacrifice them.”
The discussion also referenced Human Rights Council resolution 56/20, which calls on governments to eliminate discriminatory laws, integrate HIV services into primary healthcare, and ensure universal access to prevention, testing, and treatment.
However, experts cautioned that resolutions alone are insufficient. “Legal reform must be backed by political will and decisive action,” said one panelist. “We can no longer afford incremental change. We must dismantle the legal, financial, and social barriers that stand in the way of progress.”
The session concluded with a clear message: ending AIDS is not just a public health goal it is a human rights imperative. “If we choose compassion over cruelty and justice over neglect,” Prof. Kamarulzaman stated, “we can finally end this epidemic, not just for some, but for all.”
