AIDS Update: Mixed
June 4th, 2008 at 10:23 am | posted by Josh LozmanYesterday, UNAIDS, UNICEF, and WHO together released their second annual report on reaching universal access to HIV and AIDS interventions. The news is mixed.
The good news first. Nearly 1 million people were put on ARV therapy for the first time in 2007 bringing the global total to 3 million people on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Over 70% of those receiving ART therapy were in Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 2.1 million people.
Access to treatment by pregnant mothers and children also increased greatly in 2007. In 2007, 33% of pregnant women living with HIV in low and middle income countries received ARVs to prevent transmission to their children versus 10% in 2004 and nearly 200,000 children received ART versus 127,000 in 2006.
Despite this, approximately 6800 people were infected each day in 2007 with HIV, while 2700 people were receiving ARV therapy each day. The 3 million people on ART represent only 31% of the 9.7 million people in need. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the 2.1 million people on ART represent only 30% of the 7 million people in need of treatment.
Throughout the past year, ONE has been reporting on Africa’s successes and development. Getting 1 million people on ART during the past year is clearly a success, but this still leaves 70% of those in need without access to the treatment they need to survive. There’s a long road ahead.
This will be the first blog in a series over the next two weeks examining the current status of the AIDS epidemic in Africa and progress towards universal access.
-Josh Lozman
June 4th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Hey Josh, thanks for this summary of this U.N. report - it is a very timely and important issue for us to consider here in the ONE Blog as it highlights our movement’s accomplishments so far in ending AIDS & extreme poverty yet points out how much farther that we have to go.
Still, we can never let the task ahead of us to allow us to lose our momentum to achieving our goals.
We here in the USA must be putting all of our efforts this Summer into making sure that PEPFAR is re-authorized, hopefully within the next month before the G8 summit in Japan.
We OWE it to the people of Africa who we have struggled so hard for to not allow them to fall through the cracks of government bureaucracy in this presidential year.
It doesn’t matter in the end WHO is elected president to that mother in Africa on her ARV’s - she just needs to know that she can continue to go on living for the sake of her children.
And it is UP TO US to make sure that she continues to get her ARV’s. (plus continue to ensure that more people can receive this life-giving assistance)
For those who are truly interested, there is a MAJOR international conference taking place in Kampala, Uganda on the international HIV/AIDS crisis from the perspective of those who are responsible for IMPLEMENTING the programs which provide the life-giving assistance that HIV/AIDS affected people, including AIDS orphaned children, partake in.
This includes PEPFAR, the Global Fund, the U.N. agencies and other concerned international organizations.
Here is the website for more info. If my money allowed, I would be there right now (smile):
http://www.hivimplementers.com/
Have a beautiful day, everyONE. Please don’t let it get away!
ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE VOICE, ONE LOVE - debbie
www.mpwn-uganda.org