World Health Organization Cites Progress on AIDS Treatment

[Guest guest]

GLOBAL AIDS ALLIANCE

World Health

Organization Cites Progress on AIDS Treatment

But Experts Question

Commitment of Japan and UK to Defeat AIDS

Contact: Bryden,

1-202-549-3664

Washington, June 2 -- The

World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the world has now reached

the goal of delivering AIDS treatment to at least 3 million people, out of the

total of 9.7 million people who need the drugs to survive. This goal was

originally supposed to have been reached by 2005.

" We are reaching this

goal two years late, but progress would have been even slower had the target

never been set, " said Dr. Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global

AIDS Alliance. " The WHO set a challenging target, and it helped spur the

world to faster action. Now we must redouble our energy to get services to

everyone in need. We urgently need leadership from Japan and the UK to

succeed. "

The WHO report lists

specific steps needed to reach the goal which was set three years ago:

universal access to all HIV/AIDS services, including prevention, by 2010. The

G8 leaders agreed to the target in 2005, followed by the heads of states and

governments at the 2005 UN World Summit.

The report cites several

obstacles to achieving universal access, including a funding gap of $8.1

billion. It says to meet agreed upon targets the fight against AIDS will need

more than four times the funding now available.

" This new goal is

also challenging, and we can reach it if we follow the WHO's recommendations.

Unfortunately, we see alarming signs that world leaders are not truly serious

about reaching the target which they themselves agreed to, " stated Zeitz.

" For instance, it is

unclear whether the goal will be reaffirmed at next week's High Level Meeting

on HIV/AIDS at the UN, " he said. " And, the G8 leaders seem to be

divided about whether to reaffirm the goal at their Summit in July, with the US

supporting and with Japan and others opposing an emphasis on universal access.

And, today, the UK has announced a proposal on AIDS that fails to mention any

spending target specific to AIDS. "

" Japan has also passed

up its chance to lead on this issue by pledging only a small increase in its

contribution to the Global Fund, a crucial source of funding for AIDS, TB and

malaria programs, " said Zeitz. " It is very unclear over what

time-frame Japan intends to make its contribution, and it should specify the

pledge will be paid over two years. "

" It is also very

troubling to see that, in the US, the expansion of the President's Emergency

Plan for AIDS Relief is stalled in the Senate. "

" Some world leaders

seem to be hoping people will forget the promise of universal access was ever

made, " said Zeitz. " But this is a solemn promise which leaders must

not ignore. "

Most people who are HIV

positive do not know they are infected, the report states. The delays in

diagnosis and initiation of treatment mean more people die during the first six

months of treatment than in the US and other developed countries. The biggest

killer of people who are HIV positive is tuberculosis, but most do not receive

appropriate treatment.

The report also makes a

strong call for much faster action to expand diagnosis of HIV in infants as

well as access to prevention services, including male circumcision.

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