UN Hails AIDS Response, Says Concerned About Funding

Globally, the number of annual new HIV infections continues to decline and treatment access has soared, the UN announced Wednesday ahead of World AIDS Day (Dec. 1). However, a drop in annual funding for HIV/AIDS programs threatens this progress, according to the “Global HIV/AIDS Response Progress Report 2011” issued by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNAIDS.

In 33 countries, new infections fell by more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2009, the report said. In 2010, 2.7 million people acquired HIV, down from 3.1 million in 2001. More than 6.6 million patients in low- and middle-income countries received antiretroviral therapy last year, up from 400,000 in 2003. Pediatric treatment lags, however.

“In 2010, approximately half of adults in need of treatment were receiving antiretroviral treatment, while less than a quarter of the 2 million children who require antiretroviral treatment were receiving it,” Leila Pakkala, director of UNICEF Geneva, told a press conference. Closing this gap should be a collective priority, she said.

AIDS-related deaths steadily dropped from a peak 2.2 million in 2005 to 1.8 million last year. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, however, the number of AIDS-related deaths increased 1,100 percent from 2001 to 2010. New infections are growing there, in the Middle East, and in North Africa.

International HIV funding dropped from $15.9 billion in 2009 to $15 billion last year, “well below the estimated $22 billion-$24 billion needed in 2015 for a comprehensive, effective global response to HIV,” noted the report. Global financial pressures “on both domestic and foreign assistance budgets are threatening the impressive progress to date,” it said.

For more information, visit: http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/progress_report2011/en/index.html.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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