New modeling indicates that if program coverage is reduced by half, an additional 1.1 million children may contract HIV, and 820,000 more could die from AIDS-related causes by 2040, potentially leading to three million infections and 1.8 million deaths among children. Maintaining current service levels might still result in 1.9 million new infections and 990,000 AIDS-related deaths among children by 2040 due to slow progress.
“The world was making progress in the HIV response, but persistent gaps remained even before abrupt global funding cuts disrupted services,” said Anurita Bains, UNICEF Associate Director of HIV and AIDS. “While countries acted quickly to mitigate the funding cuts’ impact, ending AIDS in children is in jeopardy without focused action. The choice is clear—invest today or risk reversing decades of progress and losing millions of young lives.”
Latest global data for 2024 shows that before funding cuts, 120,000 children aged 0-14 acquired HIV, and 75,000 died from AIDS-related causes, equating to about 200 child deaths daily. Among adolescents aged 15-19, 150,000 acquired HIV, with two-thirds being girls, who accounted for 85% of new infections in this age group in sub-Saharan Africa. Only 55% of children with HIV received antiretroviral therapy compared to 78% of adults, leaving approximately 620,000 children without treatment.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden, with 88% of children living with HIV and over 80% of new infections and AIDS-related child deaths.
Concerns over judicial independence in Pakistan arise from a new constitutional amendment adopted without broad consultation, which undermines judicial independence and raises questions about military accountability and the rule of law, warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. The amendment, adopted on 13 November, establishes a new Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) for constitutional cases, effectively removing this role from the Supreme Court. It also revamps judicial appointments and transfers, raising concerns about judicial independence, as the President, advised by the Prime Minister, has appointed the FCC’s first Chief Justice and judges.
“These changes, collectively, risk subjugating the judiciary to political interference and executive control,” said Mr. Türk. “Neither the executive nor legislative should control or direct the judiciary, and the judiciary should be free from political influence in decision-making.”
The amendment also provides lifetime immunity from criminal proceedings and arrest for the President, Field Marshall, Marshall of the Air Force, and Admiral of the Fleet, reported the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “Sweeping immunity provisions undermine accountability, which is a cornerstone of the human rights framework and democratic control of the armed forces under the rule of law,” said the UN human rights chief.
More anti-discrimination laws are needed to support minorities. “Diversity is our earliest teacher,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk at the Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva. The forum serves as a global platform for ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority issues. Discussions focused on exclusion, discrimination, and intergroup tensions.
Mr. Türk noted that minorities are disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment, and homelessness. “We see land grabs, displacement, cultural suppression, and even forced evictions for tourism and commerce,” he said. Even in democratic countries, some governments roll back legal protections, reduce participation quotas, and authorize raids and surveillance. The digital sphere is equally problematic, with about 70% of those targeted by hate speech on social media belonging to minority groups.
To combat the “vicious” cycle of discrimination and hatred, more anti-discrimination laws are needed, Mr. Türk stressed, noting that less than a quarter of countries have such legislation. Additionally, minorities should be encouraged to participate in politics and the workplace, human rights should be included in educational curricula, and minority rights defenders must be protected. He also called for investment in reliable data systems to hold violators of minority rights accountable.
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