THE ELECTRONIC BULLETIN OF THE SWISS PLATFORM FOR HIV/AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

World AIDS Day 2011

To envisage a new generation without HIV and AIDS seemed inconceivable just a few years ago. Yet, accomplishments in the field of HIV-prevention and treatment show that we are on track to implement this vision. As shown in the recently published UNAIDS-Report 2011 on the global situation of HIV and AIDS, the number of new infections is slowly falling. Overall, more people than ever before have started with an AIDS therapy: In developing and emerging countries, 6,6 million peoples living with the virus are treated today, i.e. 46 % of people affected and in need of treatment.

Last years’ political and financial commitment worldwide to control the global AIDS epidemic is beginning to bear fruit.

However, such a commitment must continue unabated, and even intensified. The accomplishment should not obscure the fact that 34 million people are living with HIV today. This is one million more than just one year ago. Even if the number of new infections has fallen, the number of HIV-positive people is on the increase – also because people can live longer when they are treated. The new infections have particularly fallen in Africa and Latin America. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, however, the number of HIV-positive people has increased by 250% and reached 1,5 million affected since 2001.

Let us not forget: 1.7 million people die every year of AIDS-related causes and more than 7000 people are newly infected with HIV every day. In the global South it is still mostly women who bear the burden of the epidemic. Almost 60% of HIV-positive people in the Sub-Saharan countries are women. This is simply too much.

Which are the barriers towards zero new infections? Discrimination of people living living with the HIV or belonging to a vulnerable group such as sexual minorities, sex workers and injecting drug users is such a barrier. In addition, social and gender-related inequalities, violence against women, stigmatisation and exclusion continue to poke the fire of the epidemic.

Another barrier consists in the lack of political will to consistently work for zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Switzerland’s financial commitment in the matter of HIV and AIDS in the framework of development cooperation and politics is flat at a low level. Switzerland, or much rather SDC, has no valid AIDS policy or AIDS strategy to live up to its international commitments. How about our outgoing President of the Confederation and Minister of Foreign Affairs proclaiming an equally courageous and binding international AIDS strategy for World AIDS Day as her American colleague has done? How about our new Minister of Foreign Affairs declaring AIDS and the human right to health priorities of Swiss Foreign Policy and, consequently, would undertake respective measures? Yet, also the partner organisations of aidsfocus.ch are urged to come with programs that persistently work towards a future generation without HIV and AIDS. Let’s benefit from the World AIDS Day 2011 to renew our commitment!

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch Executive Director Medicus Mundi Switzerland

World AIDS Day this year is about "Getting to Zero". Backed by the United Nations the "Getting to Zero" campaign runs until 2015. It’s a global campaign that spotlights how our fundamental right to health is intrinsically and inextricably linked to other basic rights – The right to food, to shelter, to freedom, to clean water and safety. Crucial too is access to affordable life saving quality medicines free from the crippling effects of excessive profit taking. In the coming months the World AIDS Campaign will be spotlighting a range of Getting to Zero initiatives to help see an end to AIDS related deaths.

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org

Berlin/Geneva, 21 November 2011— A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), released today shows that 2011 was a game changing year for the AIDS response with unprecedented progress in science, political leadership and results. The report also shows that new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to the lowest levels since the peak of the epidemic. New HIV infections were reduced by 21% since 1997, and deaths from AIDS-related illnesses decreased by 21% since 2005. 47% (6.6 million) of the estimated 14.2 million people eligible for treatment in low- and middle-income countries were accessing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy in 2010, an increase of 1.35 million since 2009.

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http://www.unaids.org

Geneva, 21 November 2011 – The growing number of averted HIV/AIDS deaths according to data released by UNAIDS represents important progress, but the number of people put on treatment must increase dramatically in order to reap the benefits of the new science showing that HIV treatment both saves lives and helps prevent new infections. This will require significant additional funding for HIV treatment. In 2011, landmark research showed that a person starting HIV treatment early is 96 percent less likely to pass the virus on to others.

http://www.msf.org

Johannesburg, 24 November 2011 - The Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria has cancelled its next round of funding and cut off countries like Russia, China and Brazil after donors failed to deliver US$2.2 billion in previously committed funding. Emergency funding measures will now be put in place for some countries. The Global Fund board took the difficult decision of cancelling Round 11 at its latest meeting, which concluded on 22 November in Accra, Ghana. A reduced pool of eligible countries will now be able to apply for new funding only after the Fund's next disbursement in 2014. In the developing world, treatment for 70 percent of HIV patients is financed by the Global Fund. (PlusNews)

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• Unless the Global Fund meets its contractual agreement. The TAC is an award winning South African social movement campaigning to save the lives of people living with HIV and TB. In the 12 years since it was established TAC has helped to save and better millions of people’s lives in South Africa. It has also contributed to the deepening of democracy in South Africa through its use of the courts, advocacy and promotion of human rights constitutionalism. Internationally, TAC has been one of the most influential AIDS activist movements; an organisation that has catalysed action on HIV/AIDS across the world. Yet today TAC faces a real threat of imminent closure due to a dire funding crisis. TAC depends on a five year grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for a large portion of its work.

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Geneva, 22 November, 2011 - MSF calls on the Global Fund and donors to immediately raise the resources necessary for the minimum lifeline the Fund has extended to countries otherwise facing disruptions this year, as well as providing a new regular funding opportunity. The dramatic resource shortfall comes at a time when the latest HIV science shows that HIV treatment itself not only saves lives, but is also a critical form of preventing the spread of the virus, and governments are making overtures that there could be an end to the AIDS epidemic. Yet on the ground in hard-hit countries where MSF works, the devastating effects of the overall funding crunch are becoming apparent.

http://www.msfaccess.org

New York, 14 November 2011 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s announcement that the American government now prioritizes creating an AIDS-free generation could be more than just political lip-service: it may also shape the next several years of US global health programming and funding, analysts say. Clinton’s 8 November speech at the National Institute of Health reflects recent scientific breakthroughs. She said a three-pronged approach – eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, scaling up male circumcision procedures and expanding early treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS – offered a combination prevention strategy that would help reach the goal of having virtually no child born with HIV within three years. (PlusNews)

http://www.irinnews.org

Washington, 8 November 2011 - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on the future of the global fight against HIV/AIDS at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. : Creating an AIDS-free generation.

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Partners: Afro-European Medical and Research Network, AIDS & Child, Caritas Switzerland, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Déclaration de Berne, FEPA, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft St. Anna-Schwestern, HEKS, IAMANEH Switzerland, INTERTEAM, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, medico international Switzerland, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Aids Federation, Missio, Mission 21, Swiss Aids Care International, Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund, Swiss MIVA, Swiss Red Cross, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Tear Fund, Terre des hommes Foundation, terre des hommes schweiz, and World Vision Switzerland.

http://www.aidsfocus.ch