MEXICO CITY (August 8, 2008) - As the XVI International AIDS Conference draws to a close, CARE is calling for a renewed focus on preventing new HIV infections, especially among women and other vulnerable populations.
Massive efforts and major funding have transformed the face of the AIDS epidemic in recent years, by bringing broader access to antiretroviral medications (ARVs) to poor people in hard-hit countries and communities. Treatment has allowed countless people with HIV and AIDS to live longer and healthier lives. But resources for efforts to prevent new infections have been sorely lacking.
"The fact that 3 million people in developing countries are now receiving ARVs is nothing short of miraculous," said Madhu Deshmukh, director of CARE's HIV and AIDS unit. "But treatment is only part of the equation. Slowing the spread of new infections is crucial. It's perhaps the more challenging job, because so many complex factors are involved in changing human behavior and social norms."
CARE's work fighting the HIV epidemic in 40 countries draws from over 60 years of experience fighting the underlying causes of poverty. CARE believes efforts to address the AIDS epidemic must go hand in hand with broader humanitarian goals – such as addressing gender discrimination, access to adequate nutrition, safe water sources, and improving the quality and reach of education. Above all, HIV prevention efforts must be better integrated into a broader health agenda, including family planning.
As delegates head home from Mexico City, CARE hopes they will remember that their goal of stemming the spread of HIV is part of the broader battle against global poverty. The huge damage inflicted by HIV and AIDS in the developing world is part of a larger set of challenges faced by poor countries – including trade barriers, discrimination and violence against women, poor governance, and conflict.
"For people who are living on the edge, on a dollar a day or less, their immediate survival is likely to take precedence over the longer-term risk of contracting HIV," said Deshmukh. "New crises, including soaring food and fuel prices, are putting poverty back at the top of the global agenda. But that doesn't mean the HIV and AIDS have to take a lower priority. When we fight poverty, we are fighting AIDS."
