Prince Harry has joined forces with other prominent advocates to voice fears that “drastic cuts” could reverse progress against HIV and Aids, as he continues his mother’s legacy in raising awareness about the disease.
The Duke of Sussex appeared in a new UNAIDS film alongside Charlize Theron, Magic Johnson and other celebrities, which was screened at a United Nations assembly in New York, to show world leaders the devastating impact of recent funding cuts and urge them to recommit to ending Aids by 2030
They warn that progress against HIV is at risk of being reversed due to sudden and drastic funding cuts by donors.
“Without urgent action, we will slip backwards,” Harry says in the video. “We are already seeing drastic cuts to HIV prevention and treatment programs.”
It is the latest HIV-related project Harry has worked on, with the duke having been a vocal advocate throughout his life.
He established the charity Sentebale in 2006 to help children affected by HIV and Aids in Lesotho and Botswana, though the duke stepped down as a patron earlier this year during a public dispute with board chair Dr Sophie Chandauka.
His work follows in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Diana, who was known for her efforts to eradicate stigma against those with HIV and Aids.
In 1987, she opened the UK’s first purpose-built HIV/Aids unit that exclusively cared for patients infected with the virus, at London Middlesex Hospital.
A famous image from the event of her shaking the hand of a sufferer without gloves, despite widespread caution at that time about how the disease was transmitted, played a revolutionary role in convincing the public that they would not get the infection through touching someone who was HIV positive.
“HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them hug – heaven knows they need it,” she told cameras at the time.
UNAIDS says the impact of recent funding cuts is already being felt in countries with high burdens of HIV, which are now facing shortages of community health workers and data collectors.
It warned that if funding is not fully restored, as many as 6 million people could become newly infected with HIV and 4 million people could die from Aids-related deaths between 2025 and 2029.
“Right now, babies are being born with HIV due to interruptions in antiretroviral treatment for their mothers. Without urgent action to reverse these crippling funding cuts, 6 million more people will become infected with HIV while 4 million will die from Aids-related causes within the next four years,” Harry said in a statement.
“It is not just the at-risk communities that will be affected. We’ve proven that sustained investment saves lives and builds stronger communities. Abandoning this life-saving work now would be a devastating betrayal of progress for the millions who depend on these essential services.”
