

Include the engagement of civil society in any target setting or progress review process, as has been largely commonplace in the global HIV response. People living with HIV, key populations and young women and girls have critical insights into the nuances needed to connect global targets with local realities.
Principles of inclusion should also be applied to research and development, for example, through the enrolment of women, including those of childbearing potential, and people living with HIV and other health conditions in clinical trials, so that new treatment options can reflect and meet the diverse needs of the people who need them. Data disaggregation in research will provide important information for analysis to track progress (or lack of) and tailor future target setting appropriately. Without better addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, targets will remain unmet and will continue to obscure priorities of communities.
Targets must also be accompanied by effective and empowering social and structural interventions, including law reform and progressive law enforcement. Without real progress on addressing social and structural barriers, bold targets around ending national HIV epidemics by 2030 – such as the target set by the US – will remain elusive. Measuring and documenting progress of such interventions will be essential to ensure that advances towards addressing stigma, discrimination and other social and structural issues can be appropriately reported on.
Targets of the future should consider that finding those who have yet to be reached with HIV services is likely to be the greatest challenge and that some communities will be the hardest to engage. Because of this, it is essential that efforts towards finding an HIV vaccine and cure are bolstered to reach those who remain underserved in the response. Additionally, there must be better use of technology for HIV prevention and care to reach vulnerable populations and communities [51]. As the time to achieve the 2020 Fast-Track targets will soon have elapsed, UNAIDS is working on transition guidance and interim targets for 2025 to help chart the way towards achieving the 2030 goal of ending the AIDS epidemic. To support further progress, HIV vaccine and cure research will need to be adequately resourced.
Given the urgent need to expand the funding base for HIV services, targets should assess progress towards engaging new partners, such as the private sector, better integrating HIV with other health services and leveraging national health insurance systems to increase access to HIV services. The Business Alliance to End AIDS by 2030, launched in Davos by UNAIDS and GBCHealth, could be one such model; it aims to support industry in new and creative ways, providing businesses with the necessary tools needed from public sector partners to help realize the target of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Targets are meaningless without regular and timely analysis of progress. The HIV response must continue to enhance its use of robust, disaggregated and routinely collected data, which will be essential to chronicle nuances, respect diversity and identify and overcome implementation hurdles to reach marginalized and vulnerable communities. Resources around targets should increasingly be focused on testing and linkage to appropriate treatment, care and support services, such as through differentiated service delivery models.
HIV has demonstrated that effective prevention and treatment, while essential, will not conquer an epidemic without a robust community response, resource mobilization and political will [52]. As the global health community works towards achieving the target of universal health coverage for all by 2030, working collaboratively in the SDG and UHC era will be essential to ensure that related targets help the HIV response achieve its goals and that people living with and most affected by HIV benefit from access to quality and affordable health services for all.