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

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 23 (Xinhua) – The 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) opened Monday afternoon, with a focus on major new investments, science policies and political will The response to HIV is on the right track.

"The main obstacles to the fight against the epidemic are ideologically and politically oriented: together, we will hold politicians and donors accountable – the end of AIDS will only come first," he said. Linda-Gail Bekker, President of the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the 2018 International AIDS Research Chair.

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

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

The African Region WHO is the most affected region, with 25.7 million people living with HIV in 2017. "No one should go without treatment or die of HIV because of lack of access to HIV. basic health care, "said the Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "HIV prevention and care must be part of the fight for universal health coverage, that is to say, to recognize universal health coverage as a right for all, regardless of marginalization." [19659002] Prior to the opening of the Conference policy makers from 10 countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EOAC) met for a ministerial political dialogue

The European Region of. WHO (which includes 53 countries) is the only region of WHO where new infections are increasing, with 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

We will not be able to achieve sustainable development goals if we fail to reverse the impact of the HIV and curbing its epidemic, "she continued.

The International AIDS Conference is the world's largest gathering on HIV and AIDS, organized for the first time at the height of HIV / AIDS. In the 1985 AIDS epidemic, its 22nd edition brought together more than 15,000 participants under the theme "Breaking the Barriers to Bridge Construction."

The five-day event will feature the latest scientific breakthroughs treatment, prevention and new strategies in the field to address inequities in HIV policies and programs.