SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Roughly 35 million people across the world were living with HIV in 2013, 3.2 million of them children under the age of 15.
(Photo: L.C. Nottaasen/flickr/cc)
World Must Pick Up Pace in Tackling HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Experts
'The next five years provide a fragile window of opportunity to fast-track the response and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030,' says UN official
Jun 25, 2015
New HIV infections are not declining quickly enough, and the epidemic could dramatically worsen within the next five years if the world doesn't pick up the pace on prevention and treatment efforts, researchers with the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission warned in a report released Thursday.
"We must face hard truths--if the current rate of new HIV infections continues, merely sustaining the major efforts we already have in place will not be enough to stop deaths from AIDS from increasing within five years in many countries," said Professor Peter Piot, co-chair of the Commission and lead author of the report.
"Expanding sustainable access to treatment is essential, but we will not treat ourselves out of the AIDS epidemic," Piot continued. "We must also reinvigorate HIV prevention efforts, particularly among populations at highest risk, while removing legal and societal discrimination."
The report calls for global solidarity and international support for those nations and people hardest hit by the crisis.
"Among the sobering findings from the report is that sustaining current HIV treatment and prevention efforts would require up to 2% of GDP, and at least a third of total government health expenditure, in the most affected African countries from 2014 to 2030 to fund HIV programs," UNAIDS states in an overview of the study. "This clearly demonstrates that international support to the AIDS efforts in these countries will be needed for many years to come."
"However," the summary continues, "there is also a pressing need to ensure that people are not left behind in middle-income countries, which can and must do more to sustain their HIV prevention and care programming in higher risk, often marginalized populations."
"We have to act now," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "The next five years provide a fragile window of opportunity to fast-track the response and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030."
The study follows a report from UNICEF issued earlier this month which finds that the AIDS epidemic "continues to take a staggering toll, especially in sub-Saharan Africa." Roughly 35 million people across the world were living with HIV in 2013, 3.2 million of them children under the age of 15.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
New HIV infections are not declining quickly enough, and the epidemic could dramatically worsen within the next five years if the world doesn't pick up the pace on prevention and treatment efforts, researchers with the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission warned in a report released Thursday.
"We must face hard truths--if the current rate of new HIV infections continues, merely sustaining the major efforts we already have in place will not be enough to stop deaths from AIDS from increasing within five years in many countries," said Professor Peter Piot, co-chair of the Commission and lead author of the report.
"Expanding sustainable access to treatment is essential, but we will not treat ourselves out of the AIDS epidemic," Piot continued. "We must also reinvigorate HIV prevention efforts, particularly among populations at highest risk, while removing legal and societal discrimination."
The report calls for global solidarity and international support for those nations and people hardest hit by the crisis.
"Among the sobering findings from the report is that sustaining current HIV treatment and prevention efforts would require up to 2% of GDP, and at least a third of total government health expenditure, in the most affected African countries from 2014 to 2030 to fund HIV programs," UNAIDS states in an overview of the study. "This clearly demonstrates that international support to the AIDS efforts in these countries will be needed for many years to come."
"However," the summary continues, "there is also a pressing need to ensure that people are not left behind in middle-income countries, which can and must do more to sustain their HIV prevention and care programming in higher risk, often marginalized populations."
"We have to act now," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "The next five years provide a fragile window of opportunity to fast-track the response and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030."
The study follows a report from UNICEF issued earlier this month which finds that the AIDS epidemic "continues to take a staggering toll, especially in sub-Saharan Africa." Roughly 35 million people across the world were living with HIV in 2013, 3.2 million of them children under the age of 15.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
New HIV infections are not declining quickly enough, and the epidemic could dramatically worsen within the next five years if the world doesn't pick up the pace on prevention and treatment efforts, researchers with the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission warned in a report released Thursday.
"We must face hard truths--if the current rate of new HIV infections continues, merely sustaining the major efforts we already have in place will not be enough to stop deaths from AIDS from increasing within five years in many countries," said Professor Peter Piot, co-chair of the Commission and lead author of the report.
"Expanding sustainable access to treatment is essential, but we will not treat ourselves out of the AIDS epidemic," Piot continued. "We must also reinvigorate HIV prevention efforts, particularly among populations at highest risk, while removing legal and societal discrimination."
The report calls for global solidarity and international support for those nations and people hardest hit by the crisis.
"Among the sobering findings from the report is that sustaining current HIV treatment and prevention efforts would require up to 2% of GDP, and at least a third of total government health expenditure, in the most affected African countries from 2014 to 2030 to fund HIV programs," UNAIDS states in an overview of the study. "This clearly demonstrates that international support to the AIDS efforts in these countries will be needed for many years to come."
"However," the summary continues, "there is also a pressing need to ensure that people are not left behind in middle-income countries, which can and must do more to sustain their HIV prevention and care programming in higher risk, often marginalized populations."
"We have to act now," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). "The next five years provide a fragile window of opportunity to fast-track the response and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030."
The study follows a report from UNICEF issued earlier this month which finds that the AIDS epidemic "continues to take a staggering toll, especially in sub-Saharan Africa." Roughly 35 million people across the world were living with HIV in 2013, 3.2 million of them children under the age of 15.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.