UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years134Eamonn Murphy, who represented a government delegation at UNGASS, explained that somedonors felt that the Rio Group was pushing so strongly on the issue of treatment that this couldonly be achieved at the cost of shifting the focus from prevention programmes.The Rio Group’s official statement, however, suggests that they were fully aware of theimportance of prevention. ‘We note that the [Declaration of Commitment] makes no specificreference to the question of treatment, even when referring to care and support for personsliving with HIV. For the Rio Group, treatment is just as important as prevention’.According to Murphy, the feasibility of providing wide-scale access to antiretroviral treatmentwas still a largely unresolved issue in 2001. “From a donor’s perspective, quality, capacity fordelivery, patient adherence and cost issues were essentially questions without answers. Howwere these drugs going to be delivered and to whom were they going to be accessible? Arethey just going to go to the wealthy in the cities? Plus, for a donor, the question always is, howto make commitments that are sustainable?”No country andno leader couldany longer saythey did notknow aboutthe exceptionalmagnitude of theAIDS crisis orabout exactlywhat needed tobe done.Although the Rio Group succeeded in elevating the importance of providing accessible AIDStreatment in the Declaration of Commitment, no concrete numerical targets were set for this.Achieving the right balance between prevention and treatment would continue to be a topicof hot debate for years to come.UNGASS was an example of UNAIDS at its best – serving its core function well by bringingdisparate agencies together to achieve more than any one of them could achieve on its own,explained Cravero.An UNGASS side-event, on 26 June, attracted a large audience and distinguished guests.Organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the eventwas initially planned as an intimate dialogue between UNGASS delegates and people livingwith HIV. In fact, attendance was by invitation only, but as news of it spread, demand for invitationsgrew, including one from the Secretary-General’s office.This meeting was another step on the way to an important alliance, brokered by Calle Almedal,UNAIDS’ Senior Adviser on Partnerships Development, between the International Federationof the Red Cross and the Red Crescent and the Global Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+). Annan gathered the GNP+ members and the Federation’s positive staff aroundhim for a photo opportunity and welcomed the alliance as sending a “powerful message inbreaking the silence around social stigma”.