AIDS Deaths Worldwide Drop as Access to Drugs Improves

UNAIDS released a report Wednesday saying that the number of global AIDS-related deaths fell from 1.8 million in 2010 to 1.7 million last year. The decline was fueled by greater access to antiretroviral drugs. An estimated 8 million people in lower-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, are receiving medications, and the UN wants to raise that number to 15 million by 2015. AIDS deaths peaked at 2.3 million in 2005.

Funding for HIV prevention and treatment totaled $16.8 billion last year. Poor and middle-income countries spent $8.6 billion last year, surpassing the international investment of $8.2 billion for the first time. The UN estimates that another $5 billion is needed to reach its 2015 goals.

Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, said, “We need innovation which will reduce the cost of medicine. If we want to maintain people on second- and third-line medicine it will not be possible with the price of the drugs we have today.” The UN is working with pharmaceutical companies to improve access to lower-cost versions of HIV treatments that combine several drugs in a single pill.

Paul De Lay, UNAIDS deputy executive director, said overall progress in treating AIDS could be jeopardized by a surge in infection seen in smaller patient groups. “It reminds us that prevention must be sustained, just the way we talk about sustaining treatment.”

UNAIDS reported:

*31% fewer deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2011 compared to 2005

*Fewer deaths in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania

*Stable death rates in Western and Central Europe, and North America and Asia

*Rising death rates in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa

*Declining rates of new infection among children.

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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