Photo: © Benjamin Bechet
According to the latest UNAIDS report (see link below), released today, 2011 was a crucial year with unprecedented progress in science, political leadership and results regarding AIDS. Those are good news. But there is more: new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to the lowest levels since the peak of the epidemic, new HIV infections were reduced by 21 percent since 1997, and deaths from AIDS-related illnesses also decreased by 21 percent since 2005. UNAIDS and WHO say 47 percent (about 6.6 million) of the estimated 14.2 million people eligible for treatment in low- and middle-income countries were accessing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy in 2010, which represents an increase of 1.35 million since 2009. The report also highlights that there are early signs that HIV treatment is having a significant impact on reducing the number of new HIV infections.
These outcomes are remarkable if we think of the financial climate we have been living in the last couple of years. Despite the difficulties, "countries are delivering results in the AIDS response", said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. At the end of 2010 an estimated 34 million people globally were living with HIV, there were 2.7 million estimated new HIV infections in 2010 and 1.8 million estimated casualties of AIDS-related illnesses in 2010. There have never been so many people living with HIV, which shows the importance of improving access to diagnosis and treatment: people living with HIV are living longer and AIDS-related deaths are declining due to the lifesaving effects of antiretroviral therapy. Since 1995, around 2.5 million deaths are estimated to have been averted in low- and middle-income countries due to increased access to HIV treatment.
The report shows that things are changing, not only in access to treatment but also in prevention: new HIV infections have been significantly reduced or have stabilized in most parts of the world:
These numbers are being spurred by changes in sexual behaviour, particularly in young people: people are reducing the number of sexual partners, increasing condom use and waiting longer before becoming sexually active. Unfortunately, the number of new HIV infections keeps rising in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Oceania and Middle-East and North Africa.
The report also emphasizes that an increase in uptake of male circumcision is also starting to contribute to declines in new HIV infections. The report believes that circumcising 20 million more men across Eastern and Southern Africa would avert around 3.4 million new HIV infections by 2015.
It is estimated that around 400,000 new HIV infections in children were averted since 1995 due to increased access to effective antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle income countries by 2010. Also 48 percent of all pregnant women living with HIV were able to access effective antiretroviral regimens to prevent their child from becoming infected with the virus.
UNAIDS has also delineated a new framework for AIDS investments. The framework is based on six essential programme activities:
The framework requires a scaling up of funding to 22-24 billion USD in 2015, in order to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2015. The effort would make is possible to achieve extraordinary results: at least 12.2 million new HIV infections would be averted, including 1.9 million among children between 2011 and 2020; and 7.4 million AIDS-related deaths would be averted between 2011 and 2020. This only shows that it is possible to fight HIV effectively. And it is possible to do so in less than one generation.
These outcomes are remarkable if we think of the financial climate we have been living in the last couple of years. Despite the difficulties, "countries are delivering results in the AIDS response", said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. At the end of 2010 an estimated 34 million people globally were living with HIV, there were 2.7 million estimated new HIV infections in 2010 and 1.8 million estimated casualties of AIDS-related illnesses in 2010. There have never been so many people living with HIV, which shows the importance of improving access to diagnosis and treatment: people living with HIV are living longer and AIDS-related deaths are declining due to the lifesaving effects of antiretroviral therapy. Since 1995, around 2.5 million deaths are estimated to have been averted in low- and middle-income countries due to increased access to HIV treatment.
The report shows that things are changing, not only in access to treatment but also in prevention: new HIV infections have been significantly reduced or have stabilized in most parts of the world:
- in sub-Saharan Africa the number of new HIV infections has dropped by more than 26 percent, from the height of the epidemic in 1997;
- in the Caribbean, new HIV infections were reduced by a third from 2001 levels (reductions of more than 25 percent were reported in Dominican Republic and Jamaica!);
- the number of new HIV infections in South and South-East Asia dropped by more than 40 percent between 2006 and 2010 (in India, new HIV infections fell by 56 percent).
These numbers are being spurred by changes in sexual behaviour, particularly in young people: people are reducing the number of sexual partners, increasing condom use and waiting longer before becoming sexually active. Unfortunately, the number of new HIV infections keeps rising in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Oceania and Middle-East and North Africa.
The report also emphasizes that an increase in uptake of male circumcision is also starting to contribute to declines in new HIV infections. The report believes that circumcising 20 million more men across Eastern and Southern Africa would avert around 3.4 million new HIV infections by 2015.
It is estimated that around 400,000 new HIV infections in children were averted since 1995 due to increased access to effective antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle income countries by 2010. Also 48 percent of all pregnant women living with HIV were able to access effective antiretroviral regimens to prevent their child from becoming infected with the virus.
UNAIDS has also delineated a new framework for AIDS investments. The framework is based on six essential programme activities:
- focused interventions for key populations at higher risk (particularly sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs);
- prevention of new HIV infections in children;
- behavior change programmes; condom promotion and distribution;
- treatment, care and support for people living with HIV;
- voluntary medical male circumcision in countries with high HIV prevalence.
The framework requires a scaling up of funding to 22-24 billion USD in 2015, in order to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2015. The effort would make is possible to achieve extraordinary results: at least 12.2 million new HIV infections would be averted, including 1.9 million among children between 2011 and 2020; and 7.4 million AIDS-related deaths would be averted between 2011 and 2020. This only shows that it is possible to fight HIV effectively. And it is possible to do so in less than one generation.
read more: UNAIDS 2011 World AIDS Day Report
read more: Getting to Zero: 2011-2015 Strategy
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