Commenting on a new United Nations AIDS report, UN General Secretary Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the gains as “laudable but fragile” and urged leaders throughout the world to take brave decisions to confront the AIDS epidemic.

The report is called “Uniting for universal access: towards zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.” It is issued three decades after the AIDS epidemic started. There is a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the AIDS issue in June 2011.

In Nairobi, at the launch of the report, Mr. Ban said:

“Ten years ago, the international community came together at the General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS and set targets for the year 2010. Now it is time to take a hard look at where we failed . . . where we succeeded . . . and why.”

The report includes data on 182 nations and explains that the new HIV infection rate globally is falling, treatment access is growing, and considerable progress in reducing HIV transmission from mother to child has been achieved.

There was a 25% drop in the rate of new HIV infections in 33 nations, including 22 sub-Saharan ones. 6 million people in low- and middle-income countries were on antiretroviral treatment by the end of last year. In 2009, worldwide coverage of services to stop mother-to-child HIV transmission was over 50%.

However, these achievements, while impressive are also fragile. Two people become newly infected with HIV for every individual who starts on antiretroviral treatment. There are 7,000 newly infected people each day, of which 1,000 are children.

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director UNAIDS, said:

“Thirty years into the epidemic, it is imperative for us to re-energize the response today for success in the years ahead.

Gains in HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatment are significant, but we need to do more to stop people from becoming infected – an HIV prevention revolution is needed now more than ever.”

Mr Ban would like to see five actions mentioned in the report to enhance the AIDS response, including utilizing the energy of the young people to accomplish an HIV prevention revolution and enhance the drive towards eventual universal access to HIV prevention, care, treatment and support by the middle of this decade.

Mr Ban would also like to see:

  • Help and support for countries so their programs can become more effective, efficient and sustainable
  • More health promotion
  • A more aggressive push for human rights and the dignity of women and girls
  • To make sure accountability in the AIDS response is total, where commitments and pledges really do materialize into action

Mr Ban said:

“World leaders have a unique opportunity at this critical moment to evaluate achievements and gaps in the global AIDS response. We must take bold decisions that will dramatically transform the AIDS response and help us move towards an HIV-free generation.”

Stakeholders should all support the report’s recommendations and use them to strive towards meeting six global targets:

  • Bring down HIV sexual transmission by 50%, and to focus on key populations, such as men who have sex with men, young people, sex workers, and those who regularly inject drugs.
  • Eliminate mother-to-child transmission.
  • Reduce the number of TB (tuberculosis) deaths among people with HIV by 50%.
  • Make sure 13 million people receive HIV treatment.
  • Reduce the number of countries that have HIV-related entry, stay and residence restrictions by 50%.
  • Guarantee the education of children who became orphans because their parents died of AIDS.

International funding for HIV assistance dropped in 2009. The report urges donating countries to prioritize HIV program funding.

Mr. Ban wrote:

“The HIV response faces a moment of truth. This year, we have a unique opportunity to take stock of progress and to critically and honestly assess the barriers that keep us shackled to a reality in which the epidemic continues to outpace the response.”

“Uniting for universal access: towards zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.” (PDF, 24 pages)

Written by Christian Nordqvist