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Estimated pecentage of people on aatlrstovlral therapy among those in ne.4
sftuaton as of June 2005

hand, more and more persons either by the society or by most private spheres of each has proved that these persons
are developing resistance to people. It is a fight for social human being, and it is some- are more inclined to talk
the first generation drugs. So justice. Children becoming thing very complex which about the pandemic, the dis-
touches every aspect of our ease, etc. And who can do it
it is written on the
how can we make it possible orphans
for the poor countries to offer faces of the persons that you society. better than those feeling it in
these drugs to their popula- will never meet. You really their bones? Besides, they are
tion and to those who have belong to the privileged few. I told you earlier about this just normal people like the
developed resistance to the There are thousands and young boy who came to see rest of us, so why should they
first-generation drugs? thousands of people out there me at another conference. be treated differently!
just waiting to get a pill or These two examples are only
In addition, we have a prob- two a day, and this pill might two personal histories—from Q: 2010 is an important year
lem of brain-drain in Africa. permit them to live longer, two different persons—and for UNAIDS. What would
How can we encourage and for without it they are sen- they never make the head- you like to have achieved by
motivate those who can tenced to death. How do we lines. The important thing for then?
develop our societies to stay overcome this death sentence these persons is that there is
in their countries? There are from a chronic disease, espe- somebody out there telling Time is against us. What I
also certain aspects linked to cially when you know that the stories about what they really wish is that every
our economic situation. As the solution is out there? have to face every day. We young person has been
you see, there are many prob- are to a certain extent a voice informed about the risk of
lems associated with the Whenever you work within for the unheard, the forgotten AIDS; that those who are
AIDS pandemic in Africa and this field, reality catches up ones, the discriminated infected might live longer;
all of this has to fit into a big- with you every day. I still ones—and this voice is that universal access to treat-
ger picture, a long-term plan. remember a HIV-positive UNAIDS. This is what Pieter ment exists; and that discrim-
But then, how will we find woman who came to see me Piot, Executive Director of ination and stigmatization for
the funding required? at a Conference. She and her UNAIDS, has managed to do those infected has ceased to
husband were both infected, and continues to do every exist...
Q: Do you think that people and she desperately wanted a day. This attitude is what
working in the fight against child. A year later, I met her shines through in this organi-
AIDS are more motivated again, and she had got her zation. We are not only an
than others? child—and the child was not organization; we are the
infected. You do not have the voice of those who do not
I worked for more than twen- right to say to a person that have one.
ty years as a UNICEF coun- she should not have child. In
try representative. Honestly, I Africa, you have this belief Q: From what I have heard,
think that there is nothing that every child brings with UNAIDS is the only organi-
nobler than to work in the him/her luck, and perhaps zation that has HIV-infected
fight against AIDS. The rea- this woman would think that persons on its staff. Is this
son is simple. First of all, you she would have the chance to true?
are fighting for human beings see her child growing up if
who are touched in their pri- she had access to proper We have, in fact, HIV-infect-
vate lives, who are discrimi- treatment. AIDS touches ed colleagues. It is not at all a
nated against and rejected everything that is within the symbolic action. Experience

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