Rapporteur reports
KC 5: Scaling up: Lessons from the field report by Fatima Hassan
Reflecting back and looking forward on 25 years of AIDS
A range of speakers reflected on the past 25 years of the epidemic and set out the challenges for the future. On scaling up prevention, care and treatment Peter Piot in particular (executive director WHO) called for efforts by governments and donors to sustain a full scale response to AIDS.
Piot recommended that universal access will only be achieved if there is:
- An increased allocation of government and donor resources to fund prevention, care and treatment ;
- Local and international leadership;
- Social change that undoes the factors that make people susceptible and vulnerable to HIV;
- More research and development for AIDS.
He urged the conference to ‘maintain the exceptionality of AIDS –but at the core of the development agenda and not outside of it!”
Community Programme report by Shona Schonning
In his session, moderated by Richard Warton, Editor in Chief of The Lancet, global leaders shared their perspective on 25 years of development of the HIV epidemic and implications for the future.
Anthony Fauci, Director of the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health provided an overview of milestones in the development of scientific knowledge about HIV over 25 years. Since the first article about HIV-related illness appeared in MMWR in 1981, over 201,100 scientific articles have been published. He concluded, noting that “history will judge us by what we do with these scientific advances in the next 25 years.”
Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS described the 25 year “globalization HIV” which has culminated in the epidemic’s status as 1 cause of death for adults over 60 today. He called for the continuation of AIDS exceptionality and linking AIDS work to development.
Gregg Gonzales of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition called attention to the fact that 2005, was the worst year in the history of HIV in terms of deaths and new infections.
He passionately called for activists to hold governments and the “vast infrastructure” of AIDS service which grew over the last 25 years accountable for their promises and actions. His call was met by enthusiastic applause from the audience. He asserted that the current system is loosing the battle and called for an approach which would address the causes of the inequities which lead to the marginalization fueling the epidemic.
Community Programme report by Olayide Akanni
Speakers at this session discussed the challenge of HIV /AIDS from the varying perspectives having lived with the virus for over fifteen years and more. They all sought to provide answers to the question – Where do we go from here? Though no easy answers were provided, the speakers highlighted several key actions that need to be taken to reverse the trend of the epidemic. They include:
- Mentor and develop the ‘new generation” of HIV/AIDS activists
- Conduct AIDS activism in innovative and strategic ways
- Develop innovative approaches to ensure that funding can be easily accessed by those who need them most. This will involve focusing on resource mobilisation efforts that will fund and empower grassroots groups / community based groups and local people
- Address the issues of racism which continues to influence the spread of HIV and AIDS
- Push for political leaders to increase the resource allocation for HIV/AIDS programmes in a sustainable manner and eliminate the continual dependence on aid programmes
- Move from a one-size-fits-all approach and broaden the focus in the
- Review the Current free trade agreements which are impeding access to generics in many developing countries
|