Page 7 - DIVA_No.23_2006

We started out with a consor- Our objectives are to make of treatment we have more due to access to adequate
tium of three to four organi- sure that the funds con- than 3,000 organizations treatment. Today, we do not
let it be
see anyone dying from
zations. Today we have ten tributed are reaching the working in Africa
member agencies, such as people, and that they are Mali or elsewhere—who AIDS, as access to treatment
UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, being used in the best possi- are working on pro- is more or less universal in
ILO, UNESCO, WFP ... We ble and most efficient man- grammes and projects on the developed world, where
are all working together to ner. UNAIDS is thus plead- access to adequate treat- the social security system
ensure that the activities in ing internationally, mobiliz- ment for the population, in covers the medical fees and
the fight against AIDS are ing the leaders and making remote or rural areas, or the treatment. Therefore,
co-ordinated and more effi- sure that the fight against anywhere. AIDS has become a disease
cient. AIDS is on all agendas at the much like any other. Today,
political level and, beyond The third aspect of you do not die of AIDS; you
The second reason for set- that, mobilizing all the actors UNAIDS is to provide are sick but often it is not
ting up UNAIDS was that for action. This is the first strategic information for even visible. Therefore,
we quickly realized that the task of the organization. people. This is a very there is a lack of prevention
fight against AIDS is more important task. Let me give attitudes among the general
than a public health measure. Secondly, we are creating you an example. In a cer- public and this is a danger-
When you are in contact centres of dialogue where tain country—let us take ous evolution.
with human sexuality, you there is an obligation to the case of Brazil—they
are in fact touching the inti- organize meetings. We want have undertaken specific We have noticed an increase
mate life of each human the outcome to be results- actions to fight the disease: of AIDS cases due to this
being. It is something far oriented. By offering a new they have changed their attitude. Today, specific
more complex that a health space to civil society, we constitution in order to groups are the ones becom-
measure. You have to hope that civil society is make access to treatment a ing infected with HIV—
approach this in a multifac- waking up and that public legal right. This is a strong young people, for instance—
eted context, and the ques- opinion is becoming essen- message to the rest of the where there is less and less
tions that arise are numerous. tial. world that they, at least for protection. Unfortunately,
At that time, there were no their population, are fight- activities and media cam-
cheap medical treatments— For instance, we have seen ing for lower prices on paigns do not produce the
the existing one was exces- that the price of medication medical treatment, for a same impact as they did ten
sively expensive. The only has been reduced quite con- systematic testing enabling years ago.
way to fight the disease was siderably, and this is due to people to know whether
to put the accent on preven- pressure from civil society. they are HIV positive or The worst thing is that we
tion. If you look back five or six not, etc. We could deduce are in fact facing a globaliza-
years, you will see that that there has probably tion of the pandemic. It is no
We had to take into consider- expenditure on annual med- been a reduction in mortal- longer only an African pan-
ation local usage and cus- ical treatment was approxi- ity; a reduction of patients demic. It is becoming global
toms, cultural factors, organ- mately US$12,000 per per- being hospitalized, etc. The and it is in rapid evolution.
ization of the society, etc. son, whereas today the cost question is, based on the Today, it is in Eastern
Thus, the need for a multi- has decreased to US$130. Brazilian experience, how Europe, for instance, where
sectoral action imposed can other countries take the pandemic is spreading
itself. Seven years ago, we were advantage of this experi- most rapidly.
talking about US$300 mil- ence and how can we trans-
Whenever I say sector, I am lion to finance the global fer this kind of knowledge In our societies experiencing
not only thinking about the action of UNAIDS. Today to other countries, like economic globalization and
private and public sectors, we are approaching US$7 Botswana where the rate of human mobility, the conse-
but also the community, billion. There has been an infection is close to 40%. quences are that no region
NGOs and how they are accelerating effort over the This experience of sharing around the world can be pro-
involved in the fight against last couple of years. is something we encourage tected from the pandemic. It
AIDS. UNAIDS has taken action to and support. is therefore of the utmost
mobilize new resources, importance that we continue
Is UNAIDS an internation- multiplied actors in the field I have the impression that the awareness-raising and
campaigns,
al organization on the same and ensured that develop- in Europe we talk less information
level as the other interna- ment programmes are put in about AIDS today than we inform young people, espe-
tional organizations? place. Today, we have actors did ten years ago and this cially in schools, and ensure
other than the State working despite the fact that the that the information about
Yes, exactly, but with a slight closely with us. It is very risk is still prevalent. What HIV and AIDS are included
difference and that is that we important to have partici- are your comments? in the school curricula so
are not involved in the direct pants from civil society with that the whole surrounding
execution of programmes. us in this fight against the I think you are absolutely environment is engaged in
Our objective is not to disease. Let me give you an right to stress this fact. One this fight.
launch a project and to run it. example: simply in the field of the reasons, I think, is