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The Americas and Caribbean Platform to Fight HIV and the hepatitis was presented last Tuesday (30 October 2018) in the Metropolitan Cultural Center, in Quito. Michel Sidibé He was one of the main guests at the event.
The Executive Director of UN-AIDS He spoke with this newspaper about the current situation of the disease and the actions taken to combat it. In addition, the importance of this platform.
Is AIDS always synonymous with death?
When I was in Africa a few years ago, I remember seeing how people died in hospitals because of AIDS, because we had no medicine and that was it. available, we could not distribute it to those who really needed it, who were poor. . At present, we can already say that AIDS is not synonymous with death. Now, access to treatments has increased and we are seeing a decrease in mortality.
It has been nine years since you led UN-SIDA and since then, to what extent has the situation of people living with the virus changed in the world?
When I started, about seven million people were on treatment. At present, it has grown to 22 million beneficiaries. In countries where AIDS was a death sentence, they now control the epidemic. During this period, the medical service has grown all over the world. In this way, the coverage is much larger than it was years ago.
How will the platform work against HIV?
Three lines of action have been proposed: strengthening community associations, carrying out regional research projects and influencing change or building public policies that improve the fight against the HIV epidemic at the national, regional and national levels. and international. I believe that society and its movements will help us eliminate discrimination and stigma and promote inclusion.
In Ecuador, 10 new cases of HIV are detected every day. What is happening in the world? Are there countries where there are no new infections?
In the world, we try to control AIDS and keep the number of patients, that is to say, to avoid the increase in the number of new cases. But there is no country that does not have new infections. In addition to access to services and treatment, we need to focus on reducing stigma.
What should be done in countries like Ecuador to wipe out new infections?
Ecuador is doing an important job, especially to eliminate the contagion from mother to child. It has also joined global and regional agreements in the fight against HIV. I think it is necessary, not only in Ecuador, but in all countries, to continue work in three areas: reduce discrimination, identify the key population and prevent it.
Is there any information missing?
We need to help people find out about and access services and treatments in a timely manner. It is necessary for 90% of people living with HIV to know their HIV status, namely that they have an undetectable viral load.
The most vulnerable are still children born with HIV. What other strategies do you develop in other countries, such as the United Nations?
Yes, that's why we need to work to end the vertical contagion. Among children born with HIV, 25% do not reach one year of life and 50% or the second. From UN-AIDS, the program "Start Free, Stay Free, Without AIDS" was implemented in 2015 to end AIDS among children, adolescents and young women.
What is your purpose?
As part of this strategy, it has been proposed to reach 95% of pregnant women with the virus to receive lifelong treatment. Another goal proposed until 2020 is to provide HIV treatment to 1.4 million children aged 0 to 14 years and one million adolescents aged 15 to 19 years.
What progress has been made in treating AIDS during this period?
A few years ago, people with AIDS received 18 tablets daily. This treatment has been reduced today to a daily pill. In addition, UN-SIDA invests in research to apply injectable treatments once every four months.
And about a cure for this disease?
We are encouraging HIV vaccine research to prevent new infections because they are not declining fast enough. To stop it must be a global priority. Today, 36.7 million people are living with HIV and all need treatment for life. It is therefore essential to find a vaccine and effective treatments against the virus.
How much remains to be done to end the AIDS epidemic?
Progress has been made and we do not have to be content with it. We can win this epidemic. But there are still problems to be solved in terms of the AIDS response. Little progress has been made in the case of adolescent girls and young women. It is also important to continue working on identifying key populations.
Path
Economist and post-master in social demography. On 1 December 2009, he was appointed Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS.
Thinking "Zeroing new infections, discrimination and deaths from HIV is key."
- They manage to eliminate HIV in six stem cell transplant patients
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