Zero Discrimination Day 2025 Statement: United for Dignity, Equity, and Inclusion

On this Zero Discrimination Day, the United Nations in Malawi stands together with individuals, communities, government, and partners to reaffirm our commitment to a world free from stigma, discrimination, and inequality. Discrimination often manifests most acutely at the individual level, affecting people’s dignity, opportunities, and access to essential services. Communities, particularly those at the forefront of the HIV response, have been the backbone of global efforts for over four decades, delivering life-saving services, advocating for human rights, and ensuring that no one is left behind. Yet, despite their indispensable role, they continue to face immense challenges, including stigma, discrimination, criminalization, funding cuts, and political resistance.

As we mark this day, we celebrate the progress made but also recognize the urgent need to address the barriers that hinder communities from fulfilling their vital role. In Malawi, remarkable strides have been achieved in the HIV response, with a 79% reduction in new infections since 2010 and significant progress towards achieving the 95-95-95 target. However, key populations, adolescent girls and young women remain disproportionately affected, underscoring the need for targeted, inclusive and sustainable interventions. Reduced funding will lead to rebounds in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, cutting short the lives of women, girls, boys and men and setting Malawi’s social and economic progress further behind.

Today, the UN in Malawi calls on the government of Malawi, donors, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and communities to honor their commitments, rescue the HIV response, and take concrete actions to support communities in building resilient and equitable HIV responses. We urge stakeholders to

1. Empower Community-Led Organizations in Malawi: Ensure that Malawian community-led organizations, such as those working in HIV prevention and care, can deliver life-saving services and advocate for human rights without fear of discrimination, harassment, or criminalization. Support their efforts to reach marginalized groups, including adolescent girls, young women, and key populations, in both urban and rural areas.
2. Enable Legal Recognition and Sustainable Funding for Malawian Organizations: Guarantee that community-led organizations in Malawi can legally register and operate without bureaucratic hurdles. Provide sustainable funding mechanisms, including domestic resource mobilization, to ensure their critical work continues, particularly in underserved regions like fishing communities and along migration routes.
3. Strengthen Support for Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups in Malawi: Scale up community-led efforts to provide HIV services to those most at risk, including adolescent girls, young women, key populations, and people living in hotspots such as border districts and transportation corridors. Ensure these services are culturally sensitive and accessible.
4. Promote Human Rights and Equity in Malawi: Fund and support initiatives that address human rights violations, including the decriminalization of key populations, reduction of stigma and discrimination, and elimination of gender inequalities. Strengthen partnerships with Malawian civil society to monitor and advocate for the rights of marginalized groups.
5. Foster Inclusive Health Systems in Malawi: Ensure that Malawi’s government health services actively include community representatives as partners in the development, implementation, and monitoring of health programs. This will ensure that services are accessible, acceptable, and responsive to the needs of people living with HIV and key populations, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

Malawi’s progress towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is a testament to the power of collaboration. Through initiatives like community-led monitoring, the community and facility mentor mother model, safe spaces for vulnerable groups, and targeted health interventions in hotspots, fishing communities, along transportation and migration routes, Malawi has demonstrated that inclusive, universal and community-centered approaches work. The introduction of innovative tools, such as long-acting injectables for HIV prevention, offers fresh hope, but only if we ensure these advancements reach those who need them most.

However, challenges persist. Gender inequality, limited access to education, poverty and high rates of teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence continue to heighten vulnerability to HIV. Tackling these social determinants of health demands a multisectoral approach—one that integrates health with education, gender equality, agriculture and social protection while placing human rights at the heart of the HIV response.

Financial sustainability is also critical. While international donors have been instrumental in supporting Malawi’s HIV response, accounting for over 95% of total expenditure, the development of a national HIV sustainability plan is essential to strengthen and increase domestic investments and secure long-term financing. Additionally, integrating HIV into disaster preparedness, response, and financing remains vital for a shock-proof AIDS response, ensuring resilience in the face of crises.

As we look ahead to the 2026 High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS and the next Global AIDS Strategy, let us reaffirm our commitment to a resilient, inclusive, and human rights-centered response. Together, we can build a Malawi—and a world—where every individual, regardless of their background, can live a full and productive life with dignity.

On this Zero Discrimination Day, let us stand with communities, united in our mission to end discrimination everywhere, uphold human rights and ensure health and well-being for all.