UNAIDS - 8 March 2010

UNAIDS' Executive Director Michel Sidibe and South Africa's Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, joined the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Michel Kazatchkine for the launch of the Global Fund 2010 Results Report in South Africa which highlights progress made towards these three diseases.

The report also projects that if the current rate of scaling up health investments for the three diseases is maintained then malaria may be eliminated as a public health problem within a decade in most countries where it is endemic and the international target of halving TB prevalence could be met by 2015.

"With these very exciting goals within reach--we need to do everything we can to ensure they become a reality," said Mr Sidibe. "Without a fully funded Global Fund, our shared dream of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment care and support could become our worst nightmare--putting the lives of millions of people currently on treatment in jeopardy and millions of pregnant women in a position not able to protect their babies from becoming infected."

The three leaders were in South Africa, a country that has stepped up a rapid expansion of HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services. In the last year the new AIDS budget has increased by 33% to US$ 1 billion dollars for 2010. Between December 2007 and December 2008, the number of people receiving ART in South Africa increased by 53 percent, from 458,951 to 700,500. As ART coverage has increased, mortality rates, which had been rapidly increasing in previous years, stabilized.

"With the support of the Global Fund and UNAIDS mother-to-child transmission can be eradicated in South Africa. As the health of our mothers and children directly affects the development of our country. South Africa has to achieve this goal by 21015," said Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, South Africa.

Global Fund grants results:

* 2.5 million of the 4 million people are currently on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

* Approved HIV proposals total up to US$ 10.8 billion covering 140 countries.

* 1.8 billion male and female condoms distributed.

*. 105 million HIV counseling and testing sessions provided.

* 790,000 HIV-positive pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries received ARV prophylaxis to prevent mother-to-child transmission- which represents 45% of coverage of women in need.

* 4.5 million basic care and support services provided to orphans and other children made vulnerable by AIDS.

The Global Fund will hold its replenishment conference in October 2010. Donors are being asked to replenish its finances from a range of US$ 13 to 20 billion for 2011-2013.

"In health, 2010 is a pivotal year to finance the final stretch of the effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals", says Dr Kazatchkine. "We have made unprecedented progress but it is fragile. If we lose momentum now there will be a heavy price to pay. A failure to continue the scale-up of investments in health will betray the trust of millions."

Resources:

Related information:

South Africa - http://www.unaids.org/en/CountryResponses/Countries/south_africa. asp

Multimedia:

Photo gallery - http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/PhotoGal/08032 010_MS_MK_SouthAfrica_report_launch.asp

Feature stories:

Global Fund: Elimination of HIV transmission from mother to child by 2015 within reach (08 March 2010) - http://www.aegis.org/news/unaids/2010/UN100312.html

External links:

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria - http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/

Publications:

Global Fund 2010 Results Report (pdf, 4 Mb.) - http://data.unaids.org/pub/ExternalDocument/2010/20100308_gf_prog ressreport_en.pdf

Multimedia:

View photo gallery - http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/PhotoGal/08032 010_MS_MK_SouthAfrica_report_launch.asp

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