On 30 June, 12 United Nations entities released an unprecedented joint statement calling for ending discrimination in health-care settings and committing to work together to support Member States to provide health-care services free from stigma and discrimination. The statement is a powerful call to action for governments to do more to address discrimination in all its different forms and will contribute to the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Discrimination in health-care settings is directed towards some of the most marginalized and stigmatized populations, the very populations that states promised to prioritize through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and who are all too often excluded or left behind.

Discrimination affects both the users of health-care services and health-care workers. It serves as a barrier to accessing health services, affects the quality of health services provided and reinforces exclusion from society for both individuals and groups.

Many individuals and groups face discrimination on the basis of their age, sex, race or ethnicity, health status, disability or vulnerability to ill health, sexual orientation or gender identity, nationality, asylum or migration status, or criminal record, often experiencing intersecting or compounding forms of discrimination. Read more via UNAIDS