New HIV infections down by 52%, says UNAIDS
WITH a 52 per cent global reduction in new Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infection in chi...
https://stephmef.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-hiv-infections-down-by-52-says.html
WITH a 52 per cent global reduction in new Human Immuno-deficiency
Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infection in
children and 30 per cent drop in related deaths, the world is on course
to meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6.
According to a new report released yesterday by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), as world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) to review progress on MDGs, “new HIV infections among adults and children were estimated at 2.3 million in 2012, a 33 per cent reduction since 2001.
“New HIV infections among children reduced to 260,000 in 2012, a reduction of 52 per cent since 2001. AIDS-related deaths have also dropped by 30 per cent since the peak in 2005 as access to anti-retroviral treatment expands.”
Entitled, “Global Report: UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2013,” the 106-page document said the world is closing in on MDG 6, and that globally, the AIDS epidemic has been halted and reversed, while the race is on to reach universal access to HIV treatment.
It shows dramatic acceleration towards reaching 2015 global targets on HIV. However, it noted that despite the increase in domestic spending on HIV accounting for 53 per cent of global HIV resources in 2012, there is a funding gap of N800 billion ($5 billion).
“Despite a flattening in donor funding for HIV, which has remained around the same as 2008 levels, domestic spending on HIV has increased, accounting for 53 per cent of global HIV resources in 2012,” the report reads. “The total global resources available for HIV in 2012 was estimated at $18.9 billion, $3-5 billion short of the $22-24 billion estimated to be needed annually by 2015.”
It added: “By the end of 2012, some 9.7 million people in low and middle income countries were accessing anti-retroviral therapy, an increase of nearly 20 per cent in just one year. In 2011, UN member-states agreed to a 2015 target of reaching 15 million people with HIV treatment.
“However, as countries scaled up their treatment coverage and as new evidence emerged showing HIV prevention benefits of anti-retroviral therapy, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set new HIV treatment guidelines, expanding the total number of people estimated to be in need of treatment by over 10 million.”
According to a statement yesterday by the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, “not only can we meet the 2015 target of 15 million people on HIV treatment, we must also go beyond and have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind.”
He noted that significant results have also been achieved towards meeting the needs of tuberculosis (TB) patients living with HIV, as TB-related deaths among people living with HIV have declined by 36 per cent since 2004.
As well as outlining new global HIV estimates, the 2013 UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic reviews progress on 10 specific targets set by the UN member-states in the 2011 UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.
The report finds that progress has been slow in ensuring the respect of human rights, securing access to HIV services for people most at risk of HIV infection, particularly people who use drugs, and in preventing violence against women and girls – a key factor in vulnerability to HIV.
Gender inequality, punitive laws and discriminatory actions are continuing to hamper national responses to HIV and concerted efforts are needed to address these persistent obstacles to the scale up of HIV services for people most in need.
Source: The Guardian
According to a new report released yesterday by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), as world leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) to review progress on MDGs, “new HIV infections among adults and children were estimated at 2.3 million in 2012, a 33 per cent reduction since 2001.
“New HIV infections among children reduced to 260,000 in 2012, a reduction of 52 per cent since 2001. AIDS-related deaths have also dropped by 30 per cent since the peak in 2005 as access to anti-retroviral treatment expands.”
Entitled, “Global Report: UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2013,” the 106-page document said the world is closing in on MDG 6, and that globally, the AIDS epidemic has been halted and reversed, while the race is on to reach universal access to HIV treatment.
It shows dramatic acceleration towards reaching 2015 global targets on HIV. However, it noted that despite the increase in domestic spending on HIV accounting for 53 per cent of global HIV resources in 2012, there is a funding gap of N800 billion ($5 billion).
“Despite a flattening in donor funding for HIV, which has remained around the same as 2008 levels, domestic spending on HIV has increased, accounting for 53 per cent of global HIV resources in 2012,” the report reads. “The total global resources available for HIV in 2012 was estimated at $18.9 billion, $3-5 billion short of the $22-24 billion estimated to be needed annually by 2015.”
It added: “By the end of 2012, some 9.7 million people in low and middle income countries were accessing anti-retroviral therapy, an increase of nearly 20 per cent in just one year. In 2011, UN member-states agreed to a 2015 target of reaching 15 million people with HIV treatment.
“However, as countries scaled up their treatment coverage and as new evidence emerged showing HIV prevention benefits of anti-retroviral therapy, the World Health Organisation (WHO) set new HIV treatment guidelines, expanding the total number of people estimated to be in need of treatment by over 10 million.”
According to a statement yesterday by the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, “not only can we meet the 2015 target of 15 million people on HIV treatment, we must also go beyond and have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind.”
He noted that significant results have also been achieved towards meeting the needs of tuberculosis (TB) patients living with HIV, as TB-related deaths among people living with HIV have declined by 36 per cent since 2004.
As well as outlining new global HIV estimates, the 2013 UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic reviews progress on 10 specific targets set by the UN member-states in the 2011 UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.
The report finds that progress has been slow in ensuring the respect of human rights, securing access to HIV services for people most at risk of HIV infection, particularly people who use drugs, and in preventing violence against women and girls – a key factor in vulnerability to HIV.
Gender inequality, punitive laws and discriminatory actions are continuing to hamper national responses to HIV and concerted efforts are needed to address these persistent obstacles to the scale up of HIV services for people most in need.
Source: The Guardian
