EXPERTS FEAR ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IS IMPACTING HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS

05.10.2010 [17:02]
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Baku, October 5 (AZERTAC). UN agencies report that a decline in donor support, due to the current economic downturn, may compromise crucial programs for HIV/AIDS. The report was released before a meeting this week of major donors to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Experts argue that unless more funds are committed, progress on HIV/AIDS will stall or even reverse.

UN experts praise recent progress in providing support and antiretroviral treatment for people with HIIV/AIDs. But in their latest report, they argue that programs like Malawi`s will be difficult to sustain if contributions from donor countries decrease over the long term. "The current economic context obviously doesn`t make it easy, but decreased commitment is not an option as it will eliminate all advances made over the last years," said Dr. Gottfried Himschall, the HIV/ADS director at the World Health Organization.

The report says more lives are being saved than ever before - and eight developing countries are now able to provide HIV/AIDS treatment to all who need it. But for the first time in the history of these programs funding has actually dipped.

EXPERTS FEAR ECONOMIC DOWNTURN IS IMPACTING HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS

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