(The Hill) – The United Nations agency focused on ending the AIDS epidemic released a new report that claims there is a clear path to end the epidemic by 2030. The report, titled “The Path that Ends AIDS,” states the ending of the epidemic is a political and financial choice.

“The data and real-world examples in the report make it very clear what that path is. It is not a mystery. It is a choice. Some leaders are already following the path – and succeeding,” UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima wrote in the report’s executive summary released last week.

According to Byanyima, the report breaks down how countries “that put people and communities first in their policies and programs are already leading the world on the journey to end AIDS by 2030.” 

Byanyima pointed to Botswana, Eswatini, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe, which have already reached the “95-95-95,” targets and at least 16 other countries that are close to reaching the benchmark.

The “95-95-95,” targets mean 95 percent of the people who are living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 percent of the people who know they’re living with HIV are on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment and 95 percent of people who are on treatment are virally suppressed.  

Byanyima urged all leaders to follow course, arguing HIV responses are successful when they are backed by strong political leadership, which includes following scientific data and evidence, addressing inequalities, ensuring funding, and “enabling communities and civil society organizations in their vital role in the response.”  

And she noted progress is greater in countries and regions that financially invest in HIV infection reduction, noting how eastern and southern Africa saw a decrease in infections by 57 percent since 2010. The report, however, found HIV funding from both international and domestic sources declined in 2022, with a total of $20.8 billion, short of the $29.9 billion the report states is needed by 2025.  

The report found investments to tackle AIDS in children yielded results with 82 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women with HIV globally being able to access antiretroviral treatment in 2022, up from 46 percent in 2010. As a result, the world saw a 57 percent reduction in new HIV infections in children from 2010 to 2022, the lowest number since the 1980s, according to the report.  

The report also looked into the role that legal and policy frameworks play in reducing the AIDS epidemic, pointing to countries that removed harmful laws, such as decriminalizing same-sex relations, over the past year.  

“We are hopeful, but it is not the relaxed optimism that might come if all was heading as it should be. It is, instead, a hope rooted in seeing the opportunity for success, an opportunity that is dependent on action,” said Byanyima. “The facts and figures shared in this report do not show that as a world we are already on the path, they show that we can be. The way is clear.”