UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

Chapter 9Chapter 9:Looking to the future: the challenge ofsustaining an exceptional response to AIDS243In 2005, an estimated 32.3 million people were living with HIV, of whom 2.9 millionbecame newly infected with HIV and 2.2 million lost their lives. In 2007, the estimateof people living with HIV rose to 32.7 million, of whom 42.7 million became newlyinfected and 2.1 million died 1 . Global spending on AIDS in 2007 was US$ 8.9 billion.In 2007, therewere more newinfections and moreAIDS deaths thanever before, and therewas evidence thatsome countries wereseeing a resurgence inHIV infection rateswhich previously hadbeen stable ordeclining.The year 2007 marked two anniversaries: it was 25 years since the first published reportof AIDS and 10 years since the announcement about the effectiveness of highly activeantiretroviral therapy at the International AIDS Conference in Vancouver. But there waslittle cause for celebration. More than 25 million people had died from AIDS and millionsof children had been orphaned. Every day, 7500 people were being infected with HIV, 5800people were dying from AIDS-related illnesses and still only 24% 2 of those in need hadaccess to treatment.In 2007, there were more new infections and more AIDS deaths than ever before, and therewas evidence 3 that some countries (for example, Uganda) were seeing a resurgence in HIVinfection rates which previously had been stable or declining.However, there were also some grounds for hope. For the first time since the early HIVprevention successes in Thailand and Uganda, in a number of developing countriesprevention programmes were producing a return on the growing investments made inAIDS activities. Summarizing the findings of the UNAIDS Global Report 2006, Peter Piot,UNAIDS Executive Director, said: “2005 was the least bad year in the history of the AIDSepidemic” 4 .The latest UNAIDS data 5 revealed that the number of people living with HIV had increasedin every region of the world, but there was a decline in new infections in about 10 countries.In most high-income countries, numbers of people living with HIV have risen becauseantiretroviral drugs keeps seropositive people alive, while at the same time other peoplecontinue to become infected with HIV.In low- and middle-income countries, an estimated 250 000 to 350 000 deaths were averted in2005 as a consequence of new treatment programmes 6 . There were also signs of a change in1UNAIDS/WHO (November, 2007).2WHO (2007). Towards Universal Access by 2010. Geneva, WHO.3UNAIDS/WHO (2007). AIDS Epidemic Update, 2007. Geneva, UNAIDS/WHO.4Altman L K (2007). ‘Report shows AIDS epidemic slowdown in 2005’. New York Times, 31 May.5UNAIDS/WHO (2007).6WHO/UNAIDS (2007). Progress on Global Access to HIV Antiretroviral Therapy: a Report on the “3 by 5” andBeyond. Geneva, UNAIDS.