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The WCC was part of a high-level panel jointly organized by UNAIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Fund to end AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
Gracia Violeta Ross, WCC programme executive for HIV, Reproductive Health, and Pandemics, served as a moderator during the panel discussion, which began with a moment of silence and a candle lit in memorial for all those who have passed away.
“The message we are bringing today is one of challenges and transformation,” said Ross. “This year has been a challenging year in the AIDS response with funding cuts from international donors and a well-coordinated and dangerous backlash on the human rights of women and girls, on people living with and affected by HIV and on the LGBTQI community.”
The panel explored themes such as “Global Leadership in a Time of Disruption and Uncertainty,” among other themes.
UNAIDS, WHO, and the Global Fund came together for this World Aids Day, reaffirming the commitment and unity to fight for the right to health and for a sustainable HIV response.
“It was so important that the discussions included leadership and sustainability, equitable access to HIV innovations, and hope,” said Ross. “Some people decided not to commemorate this day. “Here we refuse to be silent—we refuse to erase the HIV response.”
Next year, the WCC will work in the Philippines, considering this country has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in Asia. HIV infections in the Philippines have surged by over 500% since 2010, with more than 29,600 new cases reported in 2024 compared to 4,400 in 2010.
On World Aids Day, youth from the Philippine Independent Church led an ecumenical gathering as a way of sharing a grassroots model of advocacy.
