The United Nations says the "end of AIDS" in the Asia-Pacific is achievable within the next 15 years, but the organisation’s regional special envoy has warned against complacency.
"Many countries are progressing. There are only four, five countries where we are seeing an increasing number of infections," the UN’s Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDSPrasada Rao told Radio Australia ahead of this year’s of World AIDS Day. "Post-2015, at least for the next 10-15 years, we should see new infections brought down to a very negligible level, maybe 10 to 15 per cent of what it is now. "This really is the elimination level. For me, that really is the end of AIDS." It is a statement that’s been echoed from the UNAIDS executive director. "For the first time we can see an end to an epidemic that has wrought such staggering devastation around the world," Michel Sidibé said in a statement. "Progress is clear in the scientific breakthroughs, visionary leadership and precision programming. The combination of these powerful factors means that people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives, can now protect their partners from becoming infected with the virus, and can keep their children free from HIV." The number of new HIV infections has dropped by one-third in the past two years, but Mr Rao says the countries where HIV infection rates are still increasing include Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV-AIDS reports the number of new HIV infections has increased in Central Asia by 13 per cent since 2006. The groups most at risk include men who have sex with men, sex workers and people who inject drugs. One of the key messages of World AIDS Day is to combat the stigma associated with HIV-AIDS. Comments are closed.
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