Building on the Global Momentum
In recent years there has been growing momentum to address the global HIV/AIDS crisis, more so than at any other time in the course of the pandemic. The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS), held in June 2001, resulted in the unanimous adoption by member states of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS that set time-bound targets against which governments and the UN itself may be held accountable. Non-government organisations (NGOs) are playing a critical role in advocating, at both national and international levels, for governments, UN agencies and others to take concrete action to make these commitments a reality.
Financial resources are being more effectively mobilised in an effort to scale up proven strategies to address HIV/AIDS. Spending on HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries increased from $1 billion in 2000 to $3.9 billion in 2002 and a projected $6.1 billion in 2004. While this falls far short of the estimated $12 billion needed by 2005, the progress made in resource mobilisation is encouraging.
However, the life-saving benefits of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy have been experienced predominantly in industrialised countries, while millions of people in developing countries continue to die each year. Between 5 and 6 million people in developing counties urgently need access to ARVs. NGOs have played a significant role in highlighting this fundamental inequity, bringing pressure to bear on governments, the UN system and pharmaceutical companies. While there are significant challenges in providing ARVs to large numbers of people in resource-limited settings, significant steps are now being taken in this direction. Drug prices have fallen in recent years, particularly in the wake of increased generic competition in the pharmaceutical sector. WHO and UNAIDS have launched a global initiative, ‘Three by Five', which aims to provide ARV therapy to 3 million people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries by the end of 2005.