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Prince Harry continues Princess Diana’s legacy with AIDS campaign, warns against funding cuts: ‘We will slip backwards’
Prince Harry warned in the UNAIDS film that recent funding cuts could reverse progress made in fighting HIV.
Prince Harry has joined other well-known people in the struggle against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), following in Princess Diana’s footsteps to raise awareness about the disease. The Duke of Sussex appeared in a new film made by UNAIDS, which was shown at a United Nations assembly in New York. The video also featured well-known stars like Charlize Theron and Magic Johnson, People reported.
In the UNAIDS film, Harry and advocates warned that the reductions in funding are already having an impact on prioritizing HIV prevention and treatment programs. Not just that, Charlize Theron also appeared in the clip and said that if funding is not restored, it could lead to 4.2 million preventable deaths by 2029, according to UNAIDS estimates.
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Prince Harry’s statement on HIV and AIDS
“Without urgent action, we will slip backwards,” said the Duke, speaking in the film in reference to the cuts to the programs.
“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. It is not just the at-risk communities that will be affected,” the Duke said in a statement.
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Continuing Princess Diana's legacy
Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, famously worked to end the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. She made headlines in 1987 when she opened the UK’s first purpose-built HIV/AIDS unit at London’s Middlesex Hospital.
The iconic photograph of Diana shaking hands with a patient, without gloves on, shattered public perception that HIV could not infect someone through ‘casual contact.’
According to the Independent, much like his mother, Prince Harry has also made strides to raise awareness and push for change over the years. He has advocated for HIV initiatives for several years and started the charity Sentebale in 2006 to provide support for children affected by the disease in Lesotho and Botswana. He resigned from the charity earlier this year after a fallout between the organization’s board of trustees and chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka.
FAQs
What is Prince Harry’s role in HIV activism?
Prince Harry has been a vocal advocate for awareness and prevention of HIV, continuing his mother Princess Diana's legacy.
Why are funding cuts a concern for HIV progress?
Cuts threaten vital HIV prevention and treatment programs, risking setbacks in the fight against the disease.
When did Harry start Sentebale?
He started the charity in 2006.
