They will hold a global meeting against AIDS at the time of "dangerous complacency"

And it is that in some countries the number of infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased, coinciding with the fact that the world has reduced the alert AIDS and reduces its financial contributions, according to representatives of the fight against HIV / AIDS.

In addition, having focused its efforts on developing a treatment that cures AIDS has meant that basic prevention has been left behind, they explain.

The Reduction of New Infections Worldwide The last decade "has encouraged some to declare that we are one step away from the elimination of AIDS," says Peter Piot, a veteran researcher of the virus and founder of the World Health Organization. UNAIDS agency.

But "there is no data to support this conclusion", says Piot, who considers that this argument has engendered a "dangerous complacency".

Charlize Theron and Conchita Wurst

With celebrities such as actress Charlize Theron, Prince Henry of England and singers Elton John and Conchita Wurst, more than 15,000 delegates will participate in the International Conference on AIDS in Amsterdam, which will last five days.

For their part, scientists will analyze recent advances to obtain a more effective and simple drug against more than three decades of research have not yet allowed to cure or vaccinate the virus, which has infected nearly 80 millions of people and caused the death of 35 million people since the beginning of the epidemic. 1980s.

A UNAIDS report released this week noted that 36.9 million people were carriers of the virus in 2017, which, thanks to antiretroviral therapy (ART) does does not involve a death sentence.

He also reported the lowest annual mortality rate in two decades (940,000) and a record number of people with access to treatment (21.7 million).

But he also said that infections are increasing in 50 countries, more than double in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

President of the International AIDS Society (IAS), Linda-Gail Bekker, told AFP that "AIDS gurus may have made a strategic mistake," prioritizing treatment at the detriment of prevention, the only way to stop the epidemic until a vaccine is achieved. "

Bekker stressed the importance of the disease. use of condoms, the use of antiretroviral therapy as a means of protection against infection and the provision of safe syringes to drug addicts

Insufficient funding

To do this, and offer treatment to 15, 2 million HIV-positive people who do not have access to it., The battle requires funding.

However, the administration of Donald Trump plans to reduce US participation, until now the largest contributor by far.

UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation reported this week after two years of decline, government donations to AIDS programs in low- and middle-income countries increased 16 percent to $ 8.1 billion last year

But the study pointed out that the trend "will not last," since this extra money came mainly from US government funds, which had already been allocated but not used in previous years.

According to UNAIDS, $ 7 billion more per year is needed to achieve the UN goal of ending AIDS as a threat to public health in Europe. 2030.

To do this, new infections and AIDS-related deaths are expected to be reduced by 90% over 2010.

Bekker fears that "people left too early" struggle

"At the moment we turn away from the eyes, the infections will increase again and we will see (the epidemic) reappear, "he warned. AFP / RA