UNDP: HIV Is Not the End of Life
Tawazon – As the world marks World AIDS Day on 1 December, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released a report highlighting the situation of HIV in Afghanistan, recent progress and the life-saving services provided across the country.
“On 1 December, which is World AIDS Day, we are reminded that HIV remains a major infectious disease and a significant threat to global health security,” UNDP says. “In 2024, 630,000 people died of AIDS-related causes, and there were 1.3 million new infections globally, around 3.5 times more than the global target of fewer than 370,000 new infections by 2025.”
According to UNDP, it is estimated that 13,000 people are living with HIV in Afghanistan, less than 0.1% of the population (UNAIDS). However, the prevalence is higher among key population groups, such as people who inject drugs, prisoners, sex workers, and their partners. Many face stigma and discrimination, which makes it harder for them to seek help and support.
The UNDP report features the story of Ahmad and his wife, two Afghans who are living healthy, active lives thanks to proper treatment and continuous support.
Ahmad is 39 years old, a father of six, and works as a driver. Ten years ago, his life changed. A year after he was married, Ahmad began to experience discomfort and unexplained rashes around his waist. He visited several doctors, but none of them could diagnose his problem. Nearly two years later, he tested positive for HIV. According to UNDP, the diagnosis was shocking for him and left his family worried about the future. But modern treatment has helped him understand that HIV “is no longer a death sentence.”
Ahmad was referred to the ART (antiretroviral therapy) center at the Afghan–Japan Hospital in Kabul, supported by UNDP through the Global Fund.He has been receiving medication there for the past nine years. He said, “I take my medicine every day, now I live normally, work, drive, and take care of my children. I don’t feel sick anymore.”
His wife Farzana, 37, also contracted HIV after her husband. “When the doctor told me, I cried day and night,” she says. “But when I started treatment, I slowly got better.” Because of stigma and discrimination in Afghanistan, many people living with HIV hide their status. With access to treatment, she is living a healthier, more hopeful life.
UNDP says their story is only one of thousands across Afghanistan, where proper care and support have helped people return to active, hopeful lives despite difficult circumstances.
With funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNDP provides essential health services in 34 provinces. These include HIV testing, distribution of clean needles, antiretroviral medication and care for communities at risk of tuberculosis. Special programs in seven high-risk provinces are aimed at preventing the spread of HIV and ensuring no one is left behind.
In addition to the ART Centre, UNDP supports a drop-in centre in the Kota Sangi district of Kabul that provides harm reduction and testing services for people who inject drugs (PWIDs). In the same building, an Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) Centre offers daily methadone treatment to clients.
According to UNDP and the Global Fund, these programs achieved significant results last year. 7,500 people who inject drugs and 10,600 prisoners learned how to protect themselves through HIV prevention services. More than 307,000 clean needles were distributed to people who use drugs to encourage safer practices. Over 17,000 people were tested for HIV (among people who inject drugs and in prison communities), enabling early identification and treatment for those infected. 1,810 people received Opioid Substitution Therapy, a medically supervised treatment that reduces harm from drug use and helps lowers the risk of HIV and other infections. 1,540 people started life-saving HIV treatment, ensuring them access to long and healthy lives. 445 people began TB preventive therapy, protecting them from one of the main causes of death for people with HIV. Overall, in 2024, more than 2 million people received HIV, TB, and malaria services through this support.
UNDP notes that Afghanistan continues to face major social and economic challenges, including climate change, migration, and ongoing conflict, but the Global Fund’s work shows that even in the hardest conditions, it is possible to protect people, reduce stigma, and save lives.
Marking World AIDS Day with the theme “Overcoming Disruptions and Transforming the AIDS Response,” UNDP says Ahmad’s story is a reminder that with the right treatment and support, people living with HIV can lead healthy, active lives despite the challenges surrounding them.
