Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

Global Alliance

13 Apr 2026 — 1 min read

Over the past 25 years, AIDS has claimed more than 25 million lives, making it one of the most devastating recent pandemics. HIV/AIDS is deeply linked to human rights: protecting rights is crucial for preventing transmission and mitigating the pandemic’s impact. Key rights include freedom from discrimination, equality before the law, privacy, and the right to health.

Today, around 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide. While access to antiretroviral treatment has improved and millions of lives have been saved, hundreds of thousands of people still die every year from AIDS-related illnesses, many of which are preventable with timely diagnosis and care.

The spread of HIV/AIDS is fueled by poverty, stigma, and discrimination, especially against women, children, the poor, indigenous peoples, migrants, men who have sex with men, sex workers, refugees, and people in sub-Saharan Africa. Discrimination increases vulnerability to infection and discourages people from seeking testing, treatment, or counseling.

To combat the epidemic, States must prohibit discrimination based on HIV status and ensure equal access to prevention, treatment, and care. Universal access to medicines, condoms, education, and mother-to-child transmission prevention is essential. The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights provide direction for protecting the rights of those affected.

Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Related to Health

The right to health extends further. It includes a wide range of factors that can help us lead a healthy life. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the body responsible for monitoring the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, calls these the “underlying determinants of health”

Harmful Practices and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Harmful Practices Harmful practices are traditions or social norms that negatively affect the health, dignity, and well-being of individuals, particularly women and girls. Practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other forms of gender-based violence violate the right to health and other fundamental human rights. They often result in

Persons with Disabilities’ Health Rights

More than 650 million people worldwide live with disabilities, primarily in developing countries, and have long been marginalized and treated as less than rights-holders. It is essential to recognize their right to health, which is closely linked to principles of non-discrimination, autonomy, and social inclusion. More recent estimates indicate that

Migrants’ Health

Migration is a major global phenomenon, with nearly 200 million international migrants facing significant challenges in accessing their right to health, especially in host countries. Migrants, particularly undocumented or irregular migrants and those in detention, often encounter discrimination, language and cultural barriers, and legal status issues that limit their access

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Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Related to Health

Harmful Practices and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Persons with Disabilities’ Health Rights

Migrants’ Health