World AIDS Campaign: More than two million AIDS related deaths reported globally in 2008 - two million children under the age of 15 now live with HIV

[Guest guest]

New figures released by the World Health Organization and

UNAIDS estimate the number of new HIV infections have declined each year by

about 17% from 2001 to 2008, but for every five people infected, only two start

treatment.

According to the 2009 AIDS epidemic update released in Shanghai, China

on 24th November, about 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV last

year, compared with about 3.3 million in 2001.

The massive human suffering caused by the HIV and AIDS epidemic has not gone

away. “Those hit the hardest by the epidemic, including the poor and

marginalised, must have their fundamental right to essential health care and

life, free from fear of stigma and discrimination, respected,” World AIDS

Campaign Executive Director Marcel van Soest said.

The UN report noted about 4 million people were receiving AIDS drugs at the end

of 2008, compared with 3 million the previous year. Nonetheless, an additional

5 million people need treatment and are not receiving it.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said the global economic

crisis has already put HIV prevention and treatment programmes in jeopardy.

According to the most recent World Bank report, the negative impacts of this

crisis on HIV programmes will affect 70% of people receiving antiretrovirals in

Africa within the next 12 months.

This year’s World AIDS Day theme of Universal Access and Human Rights,

highlights the critical link between universal access to HIV prevention,

treatment, care and support and respect for human rights in the response to the

global AIDS epidemic. Without addressing human rights abuses, many of the

populations most vulnerable to or living with HIV will lack access to

prevention and treatment services.

Gender inequity and violence against women and girls still fuel this epidemic.

“Women’s rights- the right to live a life free of violence and the

full enjoyment of women’s sexual and reproductive rights- must be

incorporated in the response to the epidemic to significantly reduce its growth

worldwide. " said Mabel Bianco, Coordinator of the International Women AIDS

Caucus.

Underscoring the importance of human rights in the response to AIDS, UN

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently reported to the UN General Assembly that

reduced access to essential HIV services and commodities were occurring in many

countries as a result of laws and policies that were inconsistent with their

commitments to human rights.

He stressed that where human rights were promoted to protect people living with

HIV and members of vulnerable groups, there were fewer infections, less demand

for antiretroviral treatment and fewer deaths.

The drug using community faces many additional vulnerabilities to HIV.

Discriminatory practices and laws that block targeted prevention programmes

often make these vulnerabilities more pronounced. “These can create

additional challenges, for example, for drug users living with HIV, it can

increase susceptibility to the Hepatitis C virus which remains, along with TB

co-infection, the largest killer for people who use drugs.” said Greg

Gray, Key Constituencies Campaign Coordinator, World AIDS Campaign.

Some governments continue to pass and enforce overly broad laws that

criminalise the transmission of HIV which are in direct contradiction to their

stated commitments.

More than 50 countries still have laws that restrict the entry, stay and

residence of people living with HIV based on their positive HIV status only,

discriminating against them in their freedom of movement and right to work.

At the same time, laws and regulations protecting people with HIV from

discrimination and women from gender inequality and sexual violence are not

fully implemented or enforced.

The World AIDS Campaign Global Steering Committee Chair Allyson Leacock said,

“This World AIDS Day, the universal access and human rights theme is

about us, about communities, about people like you and me and our governments

making a commitment to honour and respect the dignity of the vulnerable and to

those already living with HIV.”

Further information for editors:

World AIDS Day International Event Calendar: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en2/Key-events/World-AIDS-Day/Events-Calendar/WAD-2009-Events-Calendar

Official World AIDS Day Materials for 2009: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en2/Key-events/World-AIDS-Day/World-AIDS-Day-Materials/Download

For the most recent comprehensive statistics on HIV and AIDS, see the

AIDS Epidemic Update 2009, published by UNAIDS: http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/EpiUpdate/EpiUpdArchive/2009/default.asp

The World AIDS Campaign is a global coalition of national, regional and

international civil society groups united by the call for governments to honour

their AIDS commitments under the slogan “Stop AIDS. Keep the

Promise.” The campaign is governed by a steering committee of global

constituency-based networks and supported by a team of support staff based

primarily in Cape Town, South Africa and partially in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The World AIDS Campaign, with support of its Global Steering Committee

networks, selects the international theme for World AIDS Day each year.

“Universal Access and Human Rights” is the theme for the 2009 World

AIDS Day.

Background information on the theme can be found here: http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en2/Key-events/World-AIDS-Day/World-AIDS-Day-2009

For more information or for interviews with experts, national campaigners and

people directly affected by HIV and AIDS, contact the World AIDS Campaign at mediaworldaidscampaign (DOT) org, +31 20 616 9045

(Netherlands) or + 27 21 487 3010 (South Africa).

Additional contact information:

Royston , Head of Communications and Media + 44 785 417 8405;

Marcel van Soest, Executive Director + 31 65 361 4198;

Ahumada, Acting Constituencies Programme Manager; Women's Campaign

Coordinator + 1 514 544 1208

Ms Rukia Cornelius, Organisation Manager, +27 79 896 0401

Soraya s, National Communications Coordinator, +27 21 429 891

Denis Burke, World AIDS Day Coordinator, +1 914 522 9200

Forwarded by:

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Yours

in Global Concern,

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Executive

Director- EMPOWER - Professional Civil

Society Organisation

Vice Chairman -Initiatives of HIV/AIDS Net

(IHN)

National Convener- National Alliance for Health,

Environment and Rights ( NAFHER)

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008, TN, INDIA

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