The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened global inequities. The world’s poor have borne the brunt of national lockdowns and will struggle to recover and poorer countries have been unable to rollout comprehensive vaccination campaigns because of a grossly unequal distribution of vaccines.

On top of this, COVID-19 has also derailed progress against diseases that affect people living in poverty. Imraan Valodia sat down for a conversation with Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS.Imraan Valodia: What impact has COVID-19 had on the fight against HIV in countries, particularly those in the global South, carrying the biggest burden of the disease and with significantly weaker health care systems?

Winnie Byanyima: Firstly, we must recognize the successes of the AIDS response. We have achieved what many once said was impossible. Of the 38 million people living with HIV, 27.5 million are accessing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. We have cut the rate of new HIV infections by more than half and averted 16.6 million deaths.

But let us be clear: Fighting a pandemic with no cure and no vaccine is hard.

Hundreds of thousands are still dying of AIDS and 1.5 million people were newly infected last year. AIDS remains a crisis and COVID-19 is making it worse.

Even before COVID-19, we were off track in meeting the global AIDS targets and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us back even further. COVID-19 related restrictions have hurt the most vulnerable, including marginalized and stigmatized communities and has disrupted access to HIV services.

Read the full interview with Winnie Byanyima about diseases of poverty by Imraan Valodia at Global Citizen.