[ad_1]
In light of a disturbing update of its funding and the recent publication of the 2018 global statistics on HIV / AIDS by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS), the Foundation for Health and AIDS (AHF) is sounding the alarm by calling for data accuracy measures and an urgent commitment to fully fund the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Data and funding are two of the most critical badets of an effective response to HIV / AIDS. Without this, the response will not be able to stop the epidemic and millions of people will continue to die of a disease that can be cured and prevented. Unfortunately, UNAIDS recent revelation of a $ 1 billion deficit in global AIDS funding underscores the fragility of progress to date.
UNAIDS says that 79% of people living with HIV know their status. The AHF tested nearly 5 million people last year and we seriously doubt the accuracy of this figure. What we see on the ground is not what UNAIDS wrote in its reports, said Denys Nazarov, FAD's director of global politics and communication. The world has broken its commitment to reduce new infections and AIDS-related deaths, funding is declining, basic HIV prevention has been neglected "Over-optimistic rhetoric about the end of AIDS, coupled with inaccurate data, is really dangerous.
The latest UNAIDS report puts the number of people on antiretroviral therapy at 23.3 million, with a margin of uncertainty of +/- 3.8 million. The margin of uncertainty for estimating new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths is also wide. As countries voluntarily report HIV / AIDS data to UNAIDS, their accuracy is particularly uncertain in cases where it may reveal an unfavorable epidemiological picture, particularly in countries that do not rely heavily on HIV / AIDS funding. donors for the AIDS response.
Regarding the number of treatments, we question the estimates of UNAIDS for several years. There is a lack of transparency on the data sets used to obtain them and it is not clear if the treatment figures are cumulative "an uncertainty of several million people is really troubling, especially in public health "said Terri Ford, head of Global Department of AHF. Policy and advocacy. To end AIDS, we need to start with accurate data and the money to continue testing and treating HIV-positive people who need help. It is time for the rich countries to donate their money by giving generously and giving the Global Fund what it needs to do its job, which saved its life.
As we face impressive statistics on HIV / AIDS for 2018 and as we approach the next Global Fund replenishment in October, the AHF urges donors and government agencies not to be complacent in accepting the status quo. and move forward relentlessly in the fight against HIV / AIDS. Strong leadership coupled with adequate funding and accurate data will give the world a good chance to maintain current progress in the fight against AIDS and save more lives.
For more information, please contact Ged Kenslea at the address [email protected] or (323) 791-5526
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
AIDS Foundation for Health (AHF), the world's largest AIDS organization, currently provides care and / or medical services to more than 1.2 million people in 43 countries in the United States, Africa, Latin America / Caribbean , in the Asia / Pacific region and in Eastern Europe. To learn more about the AHF, visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.
CONTACTS TO US MEDIA:
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director of Communications, FADG
+1 323 308 1833 work +1.323.791.5526 mobile
[email protected]
Denys Nazarov, Director of Global Policy and Communications, AHF
+1 323 219 1091
[email protected]
[ad_2]
Source link
