sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Global Access To HIV Treatment Increased Three-fold In Three Years
04 Jan 2007 <INPUT onclick="return printPage()" type=button value="Click to Print">
In December 2003, WHO and UNAIDS launched the "3 by 5" initiative. Three years later, access to HIV treatment has increased three-fold, but major challenges still remain. In June, 2006, 1.65 million people were receiving treatment in low- and middle-income countries, in comparison with 400 000 in December 2003.
Sub-Saharan Africa was the first to benefit from the expansion of treatment. Several lessons learnt from the effort to expand treatment have provided us with valuable guidance for the continuation of efforts towards universal access to treatment. In August 2006, the Sixteenth International AIDS Conference put the accent on the balance between prevention, treatment and care.
In the words of Dr Anders Nordström, WHO Acting Director-General, on World AIDS Day, "The AIDS epidemic provides us with clear evidence that even some of the most complex health and development problems can be successfully addressed. To see this positive pattern repeated everywhere will take greater political will and more resources. …We do not just need more. We need to commit to clear sightedness about what is working and what is not - and quickly apply that knowledge."
This year, WHO welcomed the launch of UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility established by Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom. UNITAID is an innovative funding and resource-mobilization mechanism. Its purpose is to guarantee reliable and sustainable supplies of drugs and diagnostics for the most common diseases.
Does male circumcision reduce the risk of HIV infection? Several trials under way in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda appear to show that circumcision does reduce risk. In the light of these findings, WHO and UNAIDS will shortly be organizing a broad consultation to examine the results of the trials and their implications for countries and for AIDS control.
World Health Organization (WHO) Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=59993
04 Jan 2007 <INPUT onclick="return printPage()" type=button value="Click to Print">
In December 2003, WHO and UNAIDS launched the "3 by 5" initiative. Three years later, access to HIV treatment has increased three-fold, but major challenges still remain. In June, 2006, 1.65 million people were receiving treatment in low- and middle-income countries, in comparison with 400 000 in December 2003.
Sub-Saharan Africa was the first to benefit from the expansion of treatment. Several lessons learnt from the effort to expand treatment have provided us with valuable guidance for the continuation of efforts towards universal access to treatment. In August 2006, the Sixteenth International AIDS Conference put the accent on the balance between prevention, treatment and care.
In the words of Dr Anders Nordström, WHO Acting Director-General, on World AIDS Day, "The AIDS epidemic provides us with clear evidence that even some of the most complex health and development problems can be successfully addressed. To see this positive pattern repeated everywhere will take greater political will and more resources. …We do not just need more. We need to commit to clear sightedness about what is working and what is not - and quickly apply that knowledge."
This year, WHO welcomed the launch of UNITAID, the International Drug Purchase Facility established by Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom. UNITAID is an innovative funding and resource-mobilization mechanism. Its purpose is to guarantee reliable and sustainable supplies of drugs and diagnostics for the most common diseases.
Does male circumcision reduce the risk of HIV infection? Several trials under way in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda appear to show that circumcision does reduce risk. In the light of these findings, WHO and UNAIDS will shortly be organizing a broad consultation to examine the results of the trials and their implications for countries and for AIDS control.
World Health Organization (WHO) Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=59993