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A new report by the Joint United Nations HIV / AIDS programme, released November 23, 2010 shows that for the first time since the beginning of the epidemic almost 40 years ago, the world has halted and begun to reverse the course of AIDS.
Indeed, according to the report, new HIV infections are decreasing, as well as the number of deaths related to AIDS. The number of newly infected people amounts to 2.6 million in 2009 compared with 3.1 million 10 years before; 1.8 million people died from AIDS-related diseases, while 3.1 million died in 2004.
What is working?
- Prevention
The impact of prevention is not to be neglected. The young people in particular have played a great part in the decrease by adopting a safer sexual behaviour. Correct knowledge about HIV / AIDS among the young has increased slightly. In general there has been a decline in the percentage of people having sex with more than one partner in sub-Saharan Africa, one of the area most affected by the epidemic, and condom availability has increased.
- A better access to treatment, HIV / AIDS facilities and support
More people received antiretroviral therapy in 2009, whereas fewer people are likely to die from AIDS related diseases. The level of mother-child contamination has also decreased.
The fight is not over
Progress is still fragile. Despite the decrease in HIV / AIDS infections and in deaths from AIDS-related diseases, there is still a lot of work to do to achieve UNAIDS' goals: "Zero New HIV Infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths".
In fact, some numbers have risen: in some countries (in Eastern Europe and Central Asia), HIV infection increased; the number of infected people in the population of men having sex with men, for instance.
Access to support and antiretroviral therapy is still uneven particularly for infected children and mother-to-child transmission still happens too often, discrimination and human rights issues are still major obstacles in the fight against the epidemic.
Overall resource demand remains far greater than supply.
Are there solutions?
For the time being, the answer lies in one word: investment.
Investments in prevention policies according to the specific needs of the country and targeting the audience depending on the pattern of the epidemic, among the populations at risk (more often drug users, sex workers, men having sex with men).
However investments are not enough, injecting funds should be made in the framework of structural, social and biomedical progress. Human rights issues must be addressed in HIV / AIDS programmes, to reduce discrimination and value prevention over punishment. Bad laws still keep populations from accessing AIDS support and care facilities.
Although AIDS is much less present in the media than it used too, gains are still fragile and the international community should not forget about it. Research is moving forward, but the end of the journey is not yet there.
Emmanuelle Lambert - A French thirty-something (the "something" part is key here) living in Brussels, Belgium, yoga teacher trainee, social change advocate, ...
