World AIDS Day 2011: “Getting to Zero!”

Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths.

In 1988, the UN General Assembly expressed deep concern over the pandemic proportions of the AIDS virus. Following the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of 1 December 1988 as World AIDS Day, the General Assembly drafted resolution 43/15.

According to the 2011 World AIDS Day Report, entitled “How to Get to Zero: Faster, Better, Smarter”:
“…to be effective, the AIDS response must be transformed. We need to move  from a short-term, piecemeal approach to a long-term strategic response with  matching investment.”

Backed by the United Nations, the “Getting to Zero” campaign runs until 2015. It builds on last year’s successful World AIDS Day “Light for Rights” initiative, encompassing a range of vital issues identified by key affected populations. “The potential for creative, connected and meaningful campaigning is really exciting,” says World AIDS Campaign Africa Director, Linda Mafu. “Our organization will focus on Zero AIDS Related Deaths, but the choice is there for others to pick a different zero or all three.”  The World AIDS Campaign focus on “Zero AIDS Related Deaths” highlights the progress in gaining greater access to treatment for all; a call for governments to act now. A demand they honor promises like the Abuja declaration and that African Governments at very least hit agreed targets for domestic spending on health and HIV in support of the human right to the best attainable level of health care for all.It’s a global campaign that spotlights how our fundamental right to health is intrinsically and inextricably linked to other basic rights.

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.3 million people living with HIV.  Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 60 million people have been infected with HIV and nearly 30 million people have died of HIV-related causes. In 2009, around 370 000 [230 000–510 000] children were born with HIV, bringing to 2.5 million [1.6 million–3.4 million] the total number of children under 15 living with HIV.  The total number of children aged 0–17 years who have lost their parents due to HIV increased to 16.6 million [14.4 million–18.8 million] in 2009.

Unfortunately children suffer disproportionately from HIV/AIDS, as they are not only unwittingly infected, they are also losing their parents in varying numbers in many parts of the developing world. According to UNICEF 5 million young people in low- and middle-income countries around the world are living with HIV and an estimated 890,000 new infections occurred among young people aged 15-24.

10 goals for 2015

1. Sexual transmission of HIV reduced by half, including among young people, men who have sex with men and  transmission in the context of sex work
2. Vertical transmission of HIV eliminated and  AIDS-related maternal deaths reduced by half
3. All new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs
4. Universal access to antiretroviral therapy for people  living with HIV who are eligible for  treatment
5. TB  deaths among people living with HIV reduced by  half
6. All  people living with HIV and households affected by HIV are addressed in  all national social protection strategies and have access to essential  care and support
7. Countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective  responses reduced by half
8. HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence  eliminated in half of the countries that have such  restrictions
9. HIV-specific needs of women and girls are addressed in  at least half of all national HIV  responses
10. Zero  tolerance for gender-based violence

*Goals list courtesy UNAIDS

 As I wrote in Monday’s post, Leaders Meet to Put Family Planning on the Global Agenda, thousands are gathered in Senegal for the second International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP).  Today experts have convened to discuss the great challenges, particularly in Africa, in preventing both unplanned pregnancy and HIV infection.  At the ICFP today speakers will evaluate what is needed to ensure that family planning and HIV integration is achieved.

“Women need a range of options that can protect themselves from both pregnancy and HIV. There are several promising technologies in the pipeline, but increased support for this research and development is critical,” said Judy Manning, Health Development Officer, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

While the goals set are clear, what is not apparent is the sustainable political will to achieve these global goals.  Nonetheless conferences such as the ICFP are working to achieve sustainable solutions.  With over 5 million HIV-positive children living around the world, we cannot turn our heads. Looking back four years ago, on the first year that I wrote about World AIDS Day, the little change that has come in the numbers of children who are suffering is striking.  In 2007 I reported that some 2.3 million children where HIV positive, the following year the numbers decreased to 2.1, but now we look to 2011 and all we can see is an increase. After failing to miss the 2010 goal  I find my self asking, ‘can we keep these promises in 2015?’  I wish I could be more hopeful, however the reality is that we are not currently winning the battle against HIV/AIDS. I am not one to give up hope, and if political will and funding can be truly commited and kept then we can seek “zero”.