Despite a plateau in funding by international donors, the United Nations AIDS agency reports striking progress in curbing new HIV infections and deaths from AIDS.
That progress – apparently due in large part to increases in affected countries’ own anti-HIV spending – is fueled by a steady increase in the number of people getting antiviral drugs. Treatment not only prevents their death but can sharply reduce their risk of passing HIV to their sexual partners and children. It’s “Treatment As Prevention,” as the slogan goes.
UNAIDS says nearly 10 million people in low- and middle-income countries were getting anti-HIV drugs at the end of 2012 – almost a 20 percent increase in just one year.
Another report out Monday notes that funding from international donors has remained flat since 2008. Donor governments currently contribute $7.9 billion toward the pandemic response in low- and middle-income countries, with the United States accounting for $5 billion of that amount.
But self-funding by HIV/AIDS-affected countries has increased, and now accounts for more than half of the $19 billion in total global spending on the pandemic.
Richard Knox
npr
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