Please Circ Widely: CEPA Release: International Organizations Commit to Take Concerted Action to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS

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From: Jove Oliver <jove.oliver@...>Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:49:22 +0200<pzeitz@...>Cc: Carol Bergman<cbergman@...>; Stern<jstern@...>; <mpeterson@...>Subject: Re: Urgent, please send final CEPA press release to all cc'd hereFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJULY 19, 2010 InternationalOrganizations Agree to Take Concerted Action to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS”No childshould enter this world infected with HIV.” Vienna– A global alliance of international organizations, including the heads ofUNICEF, UNAIDS and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria aswell as other NGOs including the Pan African Treatment Access Movement, HealthGAP, Ugandan Pediatric Association and the Global AIDS Alliance today agreed totake concerted action to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS over the next five years,preventing nearly 400,000 children annually from beginning their lives infectedwith the virus that causes AIDS.   “Everyday, almost 1,000 babies are infected with HIV – and without diagnosis andtreatment, half of these babies will not live to see their second birthdays,”said Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “If we are committed to savingchildren's lives, we must be committed to the effective elimination of motherto child transmission of HIV.” Currently,in resource poor settings, over 2 million children less than 15 years of ageare living with HIV/AIDS around the world. In 2008,less than half of all pregnant HIV positive women received drugs for preventionof parent-to-newborn transmission. By scaling up this intervention,parent-to-newborn transmission could be reduced to fewer than 5%. “In2009 I called for the virtual elimination of mother to child transmission ofHIV. This is the route to eliminating pediatric AIDS,” said Mr. Michel Sidibé,UNAIDS Executive Director. “In addition, children living with HIV must have asecure future and have full access to HIV prevention, treatment, care andsupport services.” Manygroups are already working intensively on pediatric AIDS. However, it isessential that the international community overcome bottlenecks and ensure thatthe necessary resources are available to fund the interventions needed toprevent, treat, and care for children with HIV/AIDS.  “TheGlobal Fund is committed to improving the quality of programs to preventtransmission of HIV from mother to child so that no child is born with HIV by2015 and so that the health of HIV-positive women is prioritized,” says MichelKazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria. “ARV regimens being offered to pregnant women, newborns andfamilies must be optimal and accessible; resources for HIV transmissionprevention and pediatric AIDS must be increased and current funding in thisarea must be used effectively and efficiently. We can reach the goal of anHIV-free generation by 2015, but not unless we continue to invest resources.” Anew status report on ending pediatric HIV/AIDS was also released today by theGlobal AIDS Alliance’s Campaign to End Pediatric AIDS (CEPA). The report providesevidence of how intensified efforts to reduce pediatric HIV/AIDS globally andin six key countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya,Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania,Uganda and Zambia) aresucceeding.  " Childrenin Africa are living with this debilitating disease and dying needlessly—andthis is both a tragedy and an outrage,” said Graça Machel, Chairperson of theCEPA Leadership Council. “How can we stand back and watch the suffering of ourchildren when we know that the world has the necessary means -- medical, financial,intellectual-- to end the destruction that is pediatric HIV and AIDS? "  Thereport highlights how, in the past year, a new approach to HIV/AIDS involvinglocal stakeholders in sub-Saharan African countries has accelerated efforts toovercome bottlenecks to going to scale with pediatric HIV/AIDS prevention andtreatment services. Children’s lives can be saved by reaching 80% coverage ofcomprehensive programs to prevent parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT+) andprovide lifesaving HIV/AIDS medicines to children already HIV infected.  PediatricHIV/AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the global North. The heads ofUNICEF, UNAIDS and the Global Fund agreed to take every necessary action--as acollective joint force--to overcome seven critical bottlenecks blockingprogress to end pediatric HIV/AIDS by December 31, 2015: Advancing family centered care and nutrition;accelerating early infant diagnosis & treatment; ensuring access to appropriate medicines andcommodities; meeting financial requirements; mobilizing political and programmaticaction; overcoming human resources crisis; and overcoming stigma anddiscrimination.  Todate, the Agreement has been signed by Mr. Lake, Executive Director ofUNICEF, Mr. Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Professor Michel Kazatchkine,Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, & Malaria, as well as the following global leaders: Mrs. Graça Machel,Chairperson, Leadership Council, Campaign to End Pediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA); Ms.Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Global Ambassador, Born HIV Free Campaign; His Excellency,and Mr. Festus G. Mogae, Founder, Champions for an HIV-Free Generation.  Theagency heads are also calling on other global leaders to commit to taking thisaction. Thisannouncement was made in conjunction with a press conference at the 18thInternational AIDS Conference in Vienna. In addition to the heads of UNICEF, UNAIDS,and the Global Fund, the press conference featured Rolake Odetoyinbo, CivilSociety Leadership Representative, CEPA Action Team, and Dr. Elly Katabira,President-Elect, International AIDS Society. The next International AIDSConference will take place in Washington D.C. in July of 2012.  #  #  # For more information,contact Jove Oliver at +1 646-373-4702 or jove.oliver@...or Kate Donovan, UNICEF New York, +43 699 195 405 08 or +1 917 378 2128, kdonovan@.... 

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