AIDS 2018 opens in Amsterdam with the goal of putting the HIV response back on track

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 23 (Xinhua) – The 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) opened Monday afternoon on major new investments, scientific policies and the political will of Put HIV on the right track.

"The main obstacles to the end of the epidemic are ideologically and politically together, we will hold policymakers and donors accountable – the end of AIDS will only come to the forefront of science, science and technology policies. provide adequate funding and work together to make sure no one is left behind, "said Linda-Gail Bekker, President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the International AIDS Research Chair on AIDS 2018.

HIV continues to be a major global public health problem, having already claimed more than 35 million lives.In 2017, 940,000 people died from HIV-related causes around the world, according to reports. statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO)

About 36.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2017 with 1.8 million newly infected people. 59% of adults and 52% of children living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy for life.

The African Region of WHO is the most affected region, with 25.7 million people living with HIV in 2017. "Nobody should go without treatment or die of HIV because of the lack of HIV. Access to basic health care, "said the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "HIV prevention and care must be part of the fight for universal health coverage, which means recognizing universal health coverage as a right for all, regardless of marginalization."

Before opening of the Conference, health ministers and senior policy makers from 10 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia for a ministerial political dialogue

The WHO European Region (which includes 53 countries) is the only region of the WHO where new HIV infections are increasing, with a persistent trend. In 2016, more than 160,000 new HIV infections were diagnosed and nearly 80% of them in the countries of EOAC. In 2017, about one-fifth of people living with HIV in the Region are unaware of their infection, a quarter of them in the EACA, and half of the warned are diagnosed late.

"When There Are Evidence-Based Approaches During the HIV Epidemic in Our Region, We Can not Indulge in Making a Difference", said Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe

and other global and regional policy frameworks, we will not be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals if we can not reverse the impact of HIV and halt its epidemic, "she said.

The International AIDS Conference is the largest gathering on HIV and AIDS. the first time at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1985, its 22nd edition brought together over 15,000 participants under the theme "Breaking the Barriers to Bridge Construction."

The event five days will present the latest scientific innovations in treatment, prevention and new strategies on the ground to address inequities in HIV policies and programs.