News

Donors hold the key to HIV-free generation

23 September 2010

Top UN health officials are confident that an HIV-free generation is possible by 2015, but have warned of the need to fully fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes to ensure that steady progress in recent years does not fall by the wayside.

World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan noted the importance of preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) to achieve three of the Millennium Development Goals – reducing child and maternal deaths, as well as halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Efforts to achieve the three goals could benefit from various women’s health funding and policy commitments rolled out this week during the summit to mark 10 years since countries committed to the MDGs. But HIV, the leading cause of death among reproductive-age women worldwide, could also serve as a weak link causing women’s health targets to veer off track.

Avoiding this remains partially dependent on donor countries’ contributions to the Global Fund, a major contributor to PMTCT programmes. The international aid agency is seeking replenishment of US$13-20 billion for a three-year period in a “œhugely challenging economic environment”, according to Global Fund Executive Director Michel Kazatchkine.

High-burden countries, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa, have continued to do their part in tackling mother-to-child transmission of HIV, according to Kazatchkine, switching from sub-optimal single-dose nevirapine to “œthe most appropriate antiretroviral regimens”.

Yet it will take more than confidence, agreement on a common strategy to eliminate PMTCT, and adequate funding, to help HIV-positive pregnant women receive testing and treatment on a universal scale, said UNICEF’s chief of HIV/AIDS, Jimmy Kolker.

Read the full article at Irin PlusNews and share your views in our Comments section below.