UNAIDS 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic

[Guest guest]

Uniting the world against AIDS

Important progress seen in tackling AIDS, but epidemic continues to

outpace response, says new comprehensive global AIDS update. New

report cites positive trends in HIV prevention and treatment;

calls for significant acceleration of the AIDS response

New York, 30 May 2006 – According to new data in the UNAIDS 2006

Report on the global AIDS epidemic the AIDS epidemic appears to be

slowing down globally, but new infections are continuing to increase

in certain regions and countries. The report also shows that

important progress has been made in country AIDS responses,

including increases in funding and access to treatment, and

decreases in HIV prevalence among young people in some countries

over the past five years.

However AIDS remains an exceptional threat. The response is diverse

with some countries doing well on treatment but poorly on HIV

prevention efforts and vice-versa. The report indicates that a

number of significant challenges remain. Among these are the need for

improved planning, sustained leadership and reliable long-term

funding for the AIDS response.

An estimated 38.6 million [33.4 million – 46.0 million] living

with HIV worldwide

4.1 million [3.4 million – 6.2 million] newly infected in 2005

2.8 million [2.4 million to 3.3 million] died of AIDS in 2005

An estimated 38.6 million people are living with HIV worldwide.

Approximately 4.1 million people became newly infected with HIV,

while approximately 2.8 million people died of AIDS-related

illnesses in 2005. While the epidemic's toll remains massive,

experts find reasons for optimism, as well as guidance for how to

improve the AIDS response, in today's report.

" Encouraging results in HIV prevention and treatment indicate a

growing return on investments made in the AIDS response, " said

UNAIDS Executive Director Dr. Piot.

" We are reaching a critical mass in terms of improvements in

funding, political leadership and results on the ground, from which

global action against AIDS can and must be greatly accelerated. The

actions we take from here are particularly important, as we know with

increasing certainty where and how HIV is moving, as well as how to

slow the epidemic and reduce its impact. "

The new report is being released in advance of the United Nations

General Assembly 2006 High Level Meeting on AIDS, which will bring

world leaders to New York from 31 May - 2 June to review progress

made since the historic signing of the 2001 Declaration of

commitment, which established concrete, time-bound goals for

improving the global AIDS response.

The report cites significant improvements in several elements of the

global AIDS response.

In the key area of financial resources, the US $8.3 billion

available for the AIDS response in 2005 is more than five times the

funding available in 2001, and is well within the Declaration

of Commitment target range. The report also cites significant

increases in global political

leadership, which is key to maintaining the AIDS response at the

centre of national and international development planning.

Dr. Piot was joined at the report launch by UNICEF Executive

Director Ann Veneman, by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Executive Director Thoraya Obaid representing the ten cosponsoring

agencies of UNAIDS.

The report shows that young people and children are increasingly

affected by the epidemic, and efforts to protect these and other

vulnerable groups are not keeping pace with the epidemic's impact.

" For too long, children have often been the missing face of the AIDS

pandemic, " said UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman. " It is

critical that the impact of HIV/AIDS on children be addressed

through programs to prevent mother to child transmission and to treat

cases of paediatric AIDS. "

On HIV prevention, the report documents behaviour changes including

delays in first sexual experience, increasing use of condoms by

young people, and resulting decreases in HIV prevalence in young

people in some sub-Saharan countries.

" Prevention remains our first and most effective line of defence, "

noted UNFPA Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. " In countries

where HIV prevalence is declining among young people, there is

behaviour change and comprehensive condom programming. This is

encouraging proof that prevention works and saves lives. But women

still remain disproportionately vulnerable and greater efforts must

be made to give them methods of prevention they can control. "

The report also makes clear that on many issues and in most regions

of the world greater action against the epidemic is required now,

and will be required long into the future.

Today's speakers emphasized that upcoming goals related to universal

access to HIV treatment and the 2010 UN goal of halting and

beginning to reverse the epidemic will require much greater action

moving forward.

KEY FINDINGS

Key findings in the 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic include

the following:

Funding

Resources for the AIDS response have grown from US$1.6 billion in

2001 to US$8.3 billion in 2005, a significant increase that

highlights the need to coordinate, monitor and evaluate

spending to ensure maximum impact for people in need. In addition to

donor funding, domestic public expenditure in heavily impacted

countries grew to US$2.5 billion in 2005. At the same time, the

report notes that funding gap continues to increase, it is estimated

that over US$20 billion will be needed annually as from 2008.

HIV prevention

In an encouraging development, six of 11 African countries reported

declines of 25% or more in HIV prevalence among 15-24 year-olds in

capital cities. Rates of sex among young people declined in nine of

14 sub-Saharan countries. Condom use with a non-regular partner

increased in eight out of 11 countries here, although overall use of

condoms remains below 50%. Use of HIV testing and counselling, an

important tool for facilitating both treatment and prevention,

quadrupled to 16.5 million people tested in 2005. In 58 countries

reporting, 74% of primary schools and 81% of secondary schools now

provide AIDS education.

While this progress is notable, the HIV prevention response falls

short in many areas. The Declaration of Commitment calls for 90% of

young people to be knowledgeable about AIDS by 2005, yet surveys

indicate that fewer than 50% of young people achieved comprehensive

knowledge levels. An area of exceptional concern is the ongoing

shortfall in care to prevent mother-to-child HIV infection, in which

just 9% of pregnant women are currently covered.

Reducing vulnerability

While some countries, notably Iran, Malaysia and the Kyrgyz

Government are adopting more progressive approaches to reducing HIV

among injection drug users, overall fewer than 20% of people who

inject drugs received HIV prevention services. Coverage is less than

10% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Only 10 of 24 countries that

reported data for sex workers achieved at least 50% coverage of

prevention services for this population. Only 9% of men who have sex

with men received any type of HIV prevention service in 2005.

Civil society reports indicate that stigma and discrimination remain

pervasive. Half of all reporting countries said that they have laws

and policies that interfere with the accessibility and effectiveness

of HIV prevention and care. Care and support for the 15 million

children orphaned by AIDS, and for millions of other vulnerable

children, lag far behind the need.

Treatment

Access to antiretroviral treatment has expanded significantly, from

240,000 people in 2001 to 1.3 million people in low- and middle-

income countries in 2005; 21 countries met or exceeded " 3 by 5 "

treatment targets. ARV prices dropped significantly and procurement

systems have improved, as has generic drug availability. Still, HIV

treatment coverage varies considerably within regions. In sub-

Saharan Africa, treatment coverage ranges from 3% in the Central

African Republic, to 85% in Botswana.

Leadership

Leadership and political action on AIDS have also increased

significantly since 2001. Ninety percent of reporting countries now

have a national AIDS strategy; 85% have a single national body to

coordinate AIDS efforts; and 50% have a national monitoring and

evaluation framework and plan. Yet, systems to implement these plans

remain inconsistent, as does civil society involvement and,

specifically, involvement of people living with HIV.

" We must move to build upon an increasingly strong foundation by

transforming the AIDS response from a year-to-year crisis management

approach to one of long-term strategic planning that includes

sustained leadership and funding to reduce the epidemic and its

impact, " said Dr. Piot.

The 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic, prepared by UNAIDS

including its cosponsoring agencies, is the most comprehensive

report on the response to AIDS ever compiled. Utilizing data from

126 countries and more than 30 civil society organizations, the

UNAIDS report assessed country progress toward the six global

targets set in the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted

by 189 UN Member States in 2001. The 2005 targets are based on the

goal of halting and reversing the global epidemic by 2015.

Progress toward those goals was measured against an agreed set of

indicators of action developed by UNAIDS in consultation with member

states and civil society.

" We are well into an important phase of the global response to AIDS

in which deeds and results count more than statements or speeches, "

said Dr Piot. " These agreed indicators of progress on AIDS cut

through rhetorical responses and put results on display, so they can

be reviewed, evaluated, learned from and improved upon. "

Contact

Rich | UNAIDS New York | cell. +1 917 650 5697 |

jr@...

Sophie Barton-Knott | UNAIDS New York | cell. +1 917 379 6948 |

bartonknotts@...

Dominique de Santis | UNAIDS Geneva | tel. +41 22 791 4509 |

desantisd@...

Download whole report as Zip file (Warning 24 MB)

http://data.unaids.org/pub/GlobalReport/2006/GR06_en.zip