International cooperation in the fight against AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS 1994 Aug 7-12; 10:6 (abstract no. TS8) Kallings LO; Natl Inst of Public Health, Stockholm, Sweden.
Multilateral cooperation: It is a great challenge to the UN system to assist member states to respond to the increasing AIDS pandemic and to help raise the necessary funds. The need for multinational support was obvious already in 1984 when the global scale of the AIDS epidemic was realized. WHO assessed the epidemiology, modes of transmission and preventive measures. In 1986 a special WHO programme on AIDS was created, later Global Programme on AIDS (GPA). An unprecedented mobilization of funds and activities was unleashed. WHO raised public and political awareness and counteracted panic and discrimination. In less than 10 years most individuals on the globe know about AIDS and almost all countries have a National AIDS Control programme. When social and economic causes and consequences of HIV/AIDS as threat to development were recognized a WHO-UNDP alliance was established in 1988. Subsequently, other UN agencies contributed within their areas of competitive advantages. The WHO Global AIDS Strategy has been adopted as a UN strategy, upgraded in 1992. It is multisectoral and includes all aspects, eg the need to improve women's status and provide health care to the growing number of AIDS cases. To better coordinate the multinational cooperation the World Health Assembly in 1993 initiated a joint and cosponsored UN programme on AIDS (WHO, UNCEF, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNDP and the World Bank) decided in July 1994 by ECOSOC. The success of the new UN programme at country level will be crucial to the future course of the pandemic. Leadership and a firm position on human rights will be decisive. The fight against AIDS is spearheading evolution of human efforts. The joint Programme will prove that the UN system is capable to create programmes which are truly collaborative.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, International Cooperation, United Nations, World Health, HIV Infections, Disease Outbreaks, Delivery of Health Care, Government Agencies, Human, Female, transmission, ICA10 940807
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