The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) announced that Elton has published an article in a new comprehensive report, How AIDS Changed Everything: 15 years, 15 lessons of hope from the AIDS response, released on July 14, 2015 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

In this report, UNAIDS announces that the goal of 15 million people on life-saving HIV treatment was met nine months ahead of schedule. Additionally, the organization is on track with its Sustainable Development Goal to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Elton’s article, “Empathy Can Help End the Epidemic,” focuses on the damaging effects of stigma. In it, he shares the story of Waangari, a young Ugandan woman who was the victim of rape that left her HIV-positive and pregnant. Her circumstances were only made more difficult by the unkind and contemptuous treatment she received from a healthcare worker. Fortunately, a compassionate doctor stepped in, and Waangari’s life turned around.

Read the full text of Elton’s article here and see the full UNAIDS report here.

The new UNAIDS report shares encouraging news about the progress EJAF has made to bring the global AIDS epidemic under control. But there is still a great deal of important work to be done, and EJAF will only succeed if we further increase our investments in HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and care services.

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