Fast-Track Cities 2024 Conference in Paris: Achievements and Challenges
From October 13 to 15, 2024, Paris will host the Fast-Track Cities 2024 conference.
The primary aim of the event is to review a decade of global networking that has united over 550 cities in the fight against HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, while also setting priorities for the next decade.
Odessa, which signed the Paris Declaration in 2017, has made significant progress, as reported by Mayor Gennady Trukhanov.
Since 2017, funding for municipal programs has increased more than fourfold. Currently:
- 98% of people living with HIV are aware of their status;
- 96% are receiving treatment;
- 96% have an undetectable viral load.
Special attention is given to high-risk groups, supported by multidisciplinary teams. A program has been implemented to assist individuals with mental disorders related to substance use.
Despite the ongoing war, no social programs have been reduced; on the contrary, Odessa has expanded its assistance to vulnerable populations.
This year's conference will focus on addressing the issues faced by vulnerable communities and sharing experiences to achieve equitable and inclusive health outcomes.
«Currently, creating an accessible environment is crucial for us. The experience of Paris, which hosted the Paralympic Games, inspires us. I am convinced that further cooperation will allow us to achieve even greater progress in all areas of societal life, where the main value is human health and creating equal opportunities», - noted Gennady Trukhanov.
