Significant gains in preventing HIV, but not enough |
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While there have been significant gains in preventing new HIV infections in a number of heavily-affected countries and reducing the number of AIDS-related deaths, the epidemic is far from over in any part of the world, says a new United Nations report released today.
The 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, produced by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), is the most comprehensive review of the epidemic to date with 147 countries reporting data on HIV.
It notes, among other things, that the combined efforts of governments, civil society and affected communities can make a difference in saving lives.
“The overall finding of the report is that we’ve made enormous progress, that there are real results,” UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot told journalists, as he launched the report in New York. “We’ve achieved more in the fight against AIDS in the last two years than in the preceding 20 years.”
At the same time, he stressed the need to sustain the gains made over the long term and scale up efforts at prevention and treatment. The report notes that while the number of new HIV infections has declined from 3 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2007, the rates of infection are risingin many countries such as China, Indonesia, Kenya and Russia.
There are now an estimated 33 million people living with HIV worldwide, with 2 million estimated to have died from AIDS last year. Also, AIDS continues to be the leading cause of death in Africa.
UN News
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page last updated on 31.07.2008
