Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 Source: St. Petersburg Times (Russia) Copyright: 2006 The St. Petersburg Times Contact: http://www.times.spb.ru/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/420 Author: Bertil Lindblad Note: Bertil Lindblad is UNAIDS representative in Russia. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) COMMITTING TO THEIR COMMITMENTS AIDS continues to kill 8,000 people around the world each day. More than 38 million people are now living with HIV, with an increasing number of new infections among women and girls. Only one in five people living with HIV have access to prevention and treatment services. Worldwide, fifteen million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. AIDS is a global emergency and poses one of the most formidable challenges to the social development, progress and stability of the world. AIDS takes its heaviest toll among the young and most productive -- people aged 20 to 40 -- and the epidemic continues to threaten social stability and national security. For nearly a decade, G8 leaders have recognized that AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases slow economic development, perpetuate poverty and threaten security in large parts of the world. To this end the G8 has focused attention and resources on a strengthened response to the surging global AIDS pandemic. Critical achievements include the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the 2001 Genoa Summit and the establishment of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise at the 2004 Sea Island Summit. At last year's G8 Summit in Gleneagles, leaders committed to getting "as close as possible to universal access to AIDS treatment by the year 2010." They also pledged to work to reduce HIV infections significantly with the aim to have an AIDS-free generation in Africa and to scale up the global response to the pandemic. In each case, G8 commitments have given impetus to worldwide efforts to strengthen health systems, increase access to medicines, expand resources, and they have generated high levels of media and public attention. The G8 focus on health in past years has led directly to the strengthening of UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) and to the establishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which to date has obtained pledges of $9 billion to prevent, diagnose and treat these diseases. The support for the global response to AIDS demonstrated by G8 leaders has been, and continues to be crucial to getting ahead of the pandemic. Great strides have been made globally in increasing access to HIV treatment and prevention services, but the pandemic continues to outpace the response. We must build on the commitments made last year to make universal access to HIV treatment, prevention and care a reality. Consistent with previous G8 actions in recent years, Russia made infectious diseases, along with energy and education, one of three priority areas at the 2006 G8 Summit in St. Petersburg. Holding the G8 presidency provided President Vladimir Putin a unique opportunity to take the lead in consolidating existing G8 commitments on AIDS and other infectious diseases. In advance of the St. Petersburg summit, the leaders of the four key health policy and financing organizations -- the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization -- jointly welcomed the focus on infectious diseases and urged the G8 leaders to continue their commitments to improving the health and lives of people around the world. To turn the tide of the global AIDS pandemic, countries must set specific targets for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. There must be evidence-based, itemized plans that are funded through increased national and international resource allocations. Human resource capacity must be strengthened to enable health, education and social systems to mount an effective response. Access to comprehensive, tested and effective prevention, treatment and care services must be scaled up. Remaining barriers related to pricing, tariffs and trade, regulatory policy and research and development must be removed to speed up access to affordable quality HIV prevention commodities such as male and female condoms, medicines and diagnostics. Together, these measures constitute a needed shift from crisis management to a strategic and sustainable response grounded in solid political commitment. Gender inequality, discrimination (in particular stigma based on race or sexual orientation), social exclusion and denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms fuel the AIDS epidemic, and must be fully addressed by governments and all levels of society. Key measures include the review, amendment and enforcement of legislation to protect and promote the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS and those particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Given the fact that HIV epidemics in many countries are mainly driven by widespread intravenous drug use, mostly involving young people, comprehensive drug use prevention and harm-reduction programs -- including needle exchange and substitution therapy for injecting drug users living with HIV -- are necessary. We welcome Russia's decision to include infectious diseases on the agenda for the 2006 summit, a decision that led G8 leaders on Sunday to affirm previous commitments to achieve the global targets set by the historic United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001 and its Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. At a high level meeting in New York last month, the General Assembly adopted a political declaration on HIV/AIDS, following a review of progress and remaining gaps, which calls for stepped up action in the fight against AIDS. Russia's support for a solid G8 commitment on AIDS should be welcomed by the global community and should also provide critical impetus to Russia's own response to the epidemic. Russia faces the largest HIV epidemic in Europe, with more than 350,000 officially registered cases. However, as Putin pointed out at a meeting of the presidium of the State Council that addressed AIDS in April, the real number is much higher. UNAIDS and the World Health Organization estimate that the number of Russians infected with HIV is 940,000, close to 1 percent of the population. Urgent action is required. Notable progress has been made: Within the framework of the National Health Project there have been substantial allocations for prevention, diagnostics and treatment of HIV and hepatitis -- 3.1 billion rubles (more than $100 million) for this year alone. In 2007, this amount will be more than doubled. More is needed, and implementation of the action points adopted by the State Council, including improved coordination and expanded prevention, treatment and care services, will be critical to stem the epidemic. In the lead-up to the St. Petersburg summit, G8 health ministers met in Moscow in late April to discuss current global health challenges, with specific focus on avian flu, AIDS and tuberculosis. In a commendable move, the executive director of UNAIDS and the director general of the WHO were invited to join parts of the discussions along with representatives of the Global Fund and the World Bank. In a communique, the health ministers recalled the Gleneagles commitments to universal access and called on UNAIDS and its cosponsoring agencies, including UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank, to provide reports and updates on global progress towards this goal, with the aim of coming as close as possible to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. The G8 leaders committed themselves in St. Petersburg on Sunday to deliver on promises made at previous summits. The time to reverse the spread of AIDS is now. This is the time to step up the fight against the epidemic; the personal engagement, commitment and support of each of the G8 leaders will be critical to overcoming the greatest global challenge of our generation. We know what it takes to turn the tide against AIDS. Bertil Lindblad is UNAIDS representative in Russia. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman