Transgender individuals, encompassing a diverse spectrum of identities including transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary people, are those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Recognized as a “key population” within public health frameworks, transgender people experience heightened vulnerability to health disparities, notably HIV, mental health challenges, and systemic barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare.
Transgender people confront a multitude of formidable obstacles, including pervasive stigma, discrimination, and systemic exclusion within healthcare and broader societal settings. These challenges manifest as mental health burdens, limited access to care for opportunistic diseases, a lack of needs-based HIV differentiated service delivery (DSD), insufficient gender-affirming care, human rights violations, physical and digital violence, and exclusion from policy discourse. Compounding these issues, recent funding withdrawals and hostile policy narratives pose significant threats to the sustainability of transgender-focused programs, jeopardizing access to essential services.
It is essential to integrate transgender-specific health interventions into national and global health agendas, ensuring sustainable and rights-based care. By prioritizing the inclusion of transgender individuals in the development and implementation of health policies and programs, we aim to dismantle health inequities and foster the overall well-being of this vital key population. This approach emphasizes the importance of respecting rights, and ensuring that transgender individuals are able to access healthcare that meets their specific needs.
