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PARIS – Thousands of experts and activists gather Monday in Amsterdam to support the fight against AIDS in the midst of warnings that a "dangerous complacency" could provoke a resurgence of violence. an epidemic that has already claimed 35 million lives.
Mortality rates decline in South Africa
Rather than moving towards the goal of "ending AIDS", new HIV infections have increased in some parts of the world as Global attention is diminishing and funding is stabilizing. 19659004]and they deplore the fact that too much attention to suppressive virus treatment has overshadowed basic prevention, so that HIV continues to spread easily among the most vulnerable people
"Encouraging reductions in New HIV infections a decade has encouraged some to declare that we are close to ending AIDS, "said Peter Piot, veteran virus researcher and founder of the UNAIDS agency.
However, "there is absolutely no evidence," he warned, and warned, "language to end AIDS has engendered dangerous complacency."
This was evident at because of the decline in national and international funding for HIV eradication and treatment programs this week from a report by the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the medical journal The Lancet
The authors of this report, he said, "are extremely concerned that there is a real risk that the world will proclaim victory long before our fight against AIDS is over." .
Attending celebrities such as actress Charlize Theron, Prince Harry and singers Elton John and Conchita, more than 15,000 delegates are expected in the Netherlands
Charlize and Conchita
While the high-level speeches will attempt to revive the fight, the five-day event will also be an opportunity for scientists to look into recent advances and setbacks in the quest for more drugs. simple and better anti-HIV.
More than three decades of research have yet to cure or vaccinate the AIDS virus that has infected nearly 80 million people the epidemic broke out on the world stage in the early years 1980.
READ: Prince Harry and Elton John launch a coalition against HIV in men
A UNAIDS report says 36.9 million people were living with the virus Through antiretroviral therapy (ART), it is no longer a death sentence.
She reports the lowest annual number of deaths in two decades and a record number of people on treatment.
The number of new HIV infections is increasing in 50 countries and more than doubling in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the IAS, told AFP that there was "a strategic mistake on the part of AIDS gurus" prioritizing treatment to the detriment of the prevention of HIV infection – the only real way to stop the epidemic.
"There is no epidemic we have gotten rid of," she said, citing Ebola and tuberculosis. a vaccine is the Holy Grail, but we are not there yet. "
Meanwhile, the world needs renewed attention on prevention," said Bekker – emphasizing condom use, expanding the use of antiretroviral therapy
But to do this, while caring for the 15.2 million infected people who do not yet have access to it, the world needs to protect and provide safe, drug-free needles.
The report of UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy NGO, revealed this week that, after two years of declining global funding, donor payments have been reduced to 50% and middle-income countries grew 16 percent to $ 8.1 billion (seven billion euros ros) last year
Do not Leave
But he warned that this was not a reason to celebrate because the trend "should not last".
The US government – by far the largest funder of AIDS programs – was appropriate, but had not spent, the previous years.
Funding from donor governments "is expected to fall again," according to the report. According to UNAIDS, the global effort is limited to about $ 7 billion a year to reach the goal of ending AIDS as a threat to public health by 2030, reducing by 90% new infections and deaths in 2010.
"Robert Matiru, director of operations at Unitaid, a non-profit organization that channels funding for HIV research and development [19659026] "We need people to continue to finance … but even increase"
Bekker fears that "people have moved away soon" from fight.
"We are either moving forward in this epidemic, or we back, "she warned.
"As soon as you take your eyes off the ball, the infections will reappear and we'll see this thing go away."
AFP [19659035]
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