The main barriers to the roll-out of treatment for HIV and AIDS are complacency and poverty.
The latest report from UNAIDS shows a more than 50% reduction in the rate of new HIV infections across 25 low and middle income countries - but experts say that momentum must be maintained.
Today is World AIDS Day and Concern says that while there is still no cure or vaccine the end of the disease is in sight.
HIV and AIDS Programme Advisor with the NGO is Breda Gaha.
“Although we don’t have a vaccine or cure yet, the end of AIDS is in sight - but international funding has flat-lined over the past 3 years” she said.
Ireland’s largest humanitarian agency - Concern - has today cautioned against complacency and the deepening impact of poverty on HIV and AIDS rates in the wake of an encouraging new UNAIDS report which was published last week.
"I can remember when almost everyone died from AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. The fact that we have been making huge progress means it is even more important that individual governments and the wider international community maintain the exciting momentum that has been built”.
Complacency and poverty are the main barriers to further reducing, if not eliminating, HIV and AIDS”.
Global numbers remain high
UNAIDS estimates that 34 million people are still currently living with HIV and about half do not know their HIV status.
While the total number of new HIV infections remains high at 2.5 million in 2011.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is still the world’s most affected region, although AIDS-related deaths are falling with treatment roll-out" Gahan continues.
“We need to focus in particular on young people and mothers, who can acquire the HIV virus and pass it on to children. Concern is working with Irish Aid and other partners in some of the world’s poorest countries and we are committed to reducing extreme poverty that makes people - especially women and girls - vulnerable to risky life choices just to survive” she added.
Concern recently partnered with Dublin-based HIV and AIDS support organisation Open Heart House to launch a unique collaborative educational campaign entitled ‘Cause and Effect’.
Watch a video on it below:
Cause & Effect - 4 Stories On HIV & Aids Trailer from DESIGN FOR LIFE on Vimeo.
