United Nations Radio

2009 AIDS Epidemic Update

PRES: There is good news on several fronts regarding the AIDS epidemic, according to the annual update issued by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. But the agencies say there is still a long way to go in reducing new infections and achieving universal drug coverage. Bissera Kostova reports.

NARR: According to the 2009 AIDS Epidemic update new HIV infections have decreased by 17% compared to 8 years ago.

De Lay: Most of this progress has been in sub-Saharan Africa, where there were 400,000 fewer infections in 2008 than in 2001.

NARR: Paul De Lay is Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS. He says Asia has also shown substantial decreases in new infections, while in Eastern Europe they are leveling off.

De Lay: Clearly, the epidemic is stabilizing and has been for the last five, six years. And the data that we're seeing confirms that. But when we talk about stabilizing, there's a number of forces at play here. So while the numbers look similar to what we got two years ago, it's a combination of decreasing deaths, more people therefore living, adding to the total number infected and decreasing new infections.

NARR: Teguest Guerma, who currently heads the HIV/AIDS Department of WHO, says wider access to antiretroviral therapy is estimated to have saved nearly 3 million lives, globally.

Guerma: For example, in Kenya, AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 29%, from 2002 to 2007. In Botswana where the coverage is close to 80%, deaths fell by 50% from 2003 to 2007.

NARR: Dr. Guerma adds that expanding treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission has saved 200,000 infants from contracting the virus, since 2001.

Guerma: The number of children orphaned by AIDS is also dropping in several sub-Saharan African countries as their parents live longer, due to access to anti-retroviral therapy. For example, in Botswana this number has dropped by 40%.

NARR: While the number of new infections is down, the AIDS epidemic continues to evolve and requires prevention efforts to keep up with the new modes of transmission, which is not always happening says Dr. De Lay.

De Lay: In countries with generalized epidemics, such as those in east and southern Africa, there are very few HIV prevention programmes for people over 25, for married couples or for people in stable relationships, although we know now that HIV prevalence is particularly high among these groups. For example, in Swaziland people over 25 accounted for two-thirds of all new infections, yet this country has very few programmes designed for this age group.

NARR: UNAIDS is also concerned that funding for HIV prevention has become the smallest percentage of the HIV budgets of many countries.

De Lay: Even though we're seeing success stories, going from 33% coverage to prevent vertical transmission to 45% still means we have a long ways to go, so the funds are not sufficient and the way the funds are spent could be done much more efficiently as well as effectively.

NARR: Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Producer: Bissera Kostova
Duration: 3'36"