AIDS Epidemic Continues To Outpace Response, UNAIDS Report
Young people and children are being increasingly infected and our efforts to protect these people are not keeping pace with the impact of the epidemic.
Despite improvements in funding, access to treatment and an important fall in HIV prevalence among some sectors, AIDS continues to be a serious threat, says the UNAIDS 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. There is an urgent need for better planning, sustained leadership and dependable long-term funding.
In 2005 Globally
-- Between 33.4 million - 46 million people were living with HIV
-- There were between 3.4 million - 6.2 million new infections
-- Between 2.4 million - 3.3 million people died of AIDS.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr. Peter Piot, said there are indications of better return on investments regarding the AIDS response globally. As we are now much better at slowing the epidemic, as well as observing and predicting how HIV is moving, whatever actions we take from now on are particularly important, added Piot.
The new report was released ahead of the United Nationals General Assembly 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS, 31 May - 2 June. Here are some highlights of the report:
-- In 2005, $8.3 billion was available for AIDS response, more than five times the amount in 2001 ($1.6 billion). However, it is estimated that $20 billion will be needed each year as from 2008.
-- In 9 sub-Saharan countries delaying people's first sexual experience, plus wider use of condoms among young people has resulted in a lowering of HIV prevalence among the young. Despite this, more focus is needed on protecting women who remain disproportionately vulnerable. Condom use in the sub-Saharan countries with the best results is still under 50%.
-- Six African countries reported significant declines in HIV prevalence among 14-24 year olds in their capital cities.
-- 74% of primary schools and 81% of secondary schools today provide AIDS education in 58 countries. In 2001, the United Nationa had aimed for 90% of young people to be knowledgeable about AIDS by 2005 - the number is still below 50%.
-- Only 9% of pregnant women are currently covered for care to prevent mother-to-child HIV infection.
-- Iran, Malaysia and Kyrgyz were praised for their progressive approaches to reducing HIV among drug users who infect themselves. Less that 20% of injecting drug users receive HIV prevention services - in Eastern Europe and Central Asia the figure is under 10%.
-- Just 9% of men who have sex with men receive HIV prevention services.
-- Only 24 countries have data for sex workers. And only ten of those provide prevention services for over 50% of their sex workers.
-- There are still too many countries have legislation which hinders accessibility for HIV prevention and care.
-- Care for 15 million children who have lost both parents to AIDS is chronically lacking.
-- Antiretroviral treatments grew from 240,000 people in 2001 to 1.3 million in 2005 in developing countries. Even so, just 3% of patients get antiretroviral treatment in the Central African Republic, while the figure for Botswana is 85%.
-- 90% of reporting countries have a national AIDS strategy, 85% have a national body to coordinate AIDS efforts, 50% have a framework and national monitoring and evaluation plan. Even so, systems to implement these are patchy.
In order to achieve the goal of halting and starting to reverse the epidemic, the report stresses that greater action is needed now - greater than current actions. Providing universal access to HIV treatment must become one of these actions.
UNAIDS 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic
Click Here To See The Report
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Start Sanatate
Copyright: Start Sanatate
Not to be reproduced without permission of Start Sanatate
SIDA continuã sã Outpace rãspuns, UNAIDS Raport - AIDS Epidemic Continues To Outpace Response, UNAIDS Report - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate