Ms Lewin!
Ms Byanyima!
Ladies and gentlemen!

One person dies of AIDS every minute. One person every minute! That is something we must change. Our common goal  is to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. While we are making progress, there is still some way to go. That is why we keep on working – together and globally.

As one of the largest donors, Germany contributes 1.3 billion Euro into the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the current cycle. And we will continue to support it.

Why is that so important? Because the programs sponsored by the Global Fund have saved fifty-nine million lives. Fifty-nine million! This number speaks for itself.

We also support UN-AIDS and the World Health Organisation and will continue to be a reliable partner. Together with France and Norway, Germany supports the Investment Round of the World Health Organisation as a Co-Host for the European Region.

This is vital, because the World Health Organisation needs more support. It is the chain that holds together the different promoters of global health in their pursuit of funding, in their coordinating, standardising and work on the ground.

I would like to call on other donors to participate and contribute – for a stronger chain with even more reliable links.

Health is a pressing issue everywhere. All crises, wars, natural disasters and pandemics have an impact on health – and they most affect those who are poor, disadvantaged and discriminated against. That, too, is something we must change.

Four strategies are crucial to bringing about that change. We need more research, better prevention, people-centred information and thorough testing. Let me briefly address each point.

First, research is vital in our fight against HIV, because this virus is more complex and more adaptable than others. The latest progress, including mRNA, gives us confidence that a vaccine against HIV will be available in the not too distant future. In Germany, we have a thriving research environment in this field. So let us drive research forward together – to save and improve lives.

Second, let us improve prevention. The available means of HIV prophylaxis have proven to be very effective and reduce new infections. Furthermore, in Germany, more than 95 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV receive therapy. Globally, more than 30 million people received HIV antiretroviral therapy in 2023. Most of these therapies succeed and almost completely prevent further transmission.

Germany also continues to strive to meet the third UN-AIDS target, that is: 95 percent of all people infected knowing their diagnosis. Research and prevention are the two most important measures to lower the number of infections and improve treatment.

However – my third point – information and language also matter. Language changes how we perceive reality. A person labelled “AIDS-infected” is perceived differently from a person “living with HIV.” That’s why it is key to communicate in a people-centred way instead of putting the disease first.

People-centred information also makes it easier to understand the disease and treatment options. In Germany, the Federal Centre for Health Education and the German AIDS Service Organisation continue to campaign and provide targeted advice, so that everyone looking for information has access to it.

Finally, we need to make testing more thorough. But what we really have to keep working on is the fight against discrimination and stigma. This applies to each and every individual living with HIV. That is why I am announcing today that Germany will join the UNAIDS Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate all Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination.

This spring, people everywhere in Germany celebrated 75 years of our democratic constitution. The very first Article of our constitution states the following – and I quote:

“Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.”

Seventy-five years on, that Article 1 has lost none of its power. In our country, every single person must be protected – no matter where they come from, no matter how healthy they are, no matter who they love.

Thank you!