12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections Boston, Massachusetts - February 22-25, 2005

Conf Retrovir Opportunistic Infect 2005 Feb 22-25;12:abstract no. 6

Jim Kim
World Hlth Org., Geneva, Switzerland

When it was announced on World AIDS Day 2003, the "3 by 5" target-calling for 3 million people living with HIV/AIDS in developing and transitional countries to be initiated on antiretroviral therapy by 2005--was greeted with understandable skepticism. It was a necessary risk. Based on the right to treatment and building on years of work by governments, donors, and civil society, "3 by 5" aims to help infuse hope and energy into communities that have been largely immobilized by the devastating toll of the epidemic.

In the second half of 2004, the number of people on antiretroviral therapy in developing and transitional countries increased dramatically from 440,000 to an estimated 700,000. Experience in the field has given us critical insights regarding the determinants of success in rapidly scaling up HIV treatment and care--and significant encouragement about the feasibility of the project. However, current estimates of those under ARV treatment represent about 12% of the approximately 5.8 million people currently in need in developing and transitional countries.

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Copyright © 2005 - Foundation for Retrovirology and Human Health. Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Foundation for Retrovirology and Human Health. Licensed (AIDSLINE) from National Library of Medicine.