World AIDS day

According to UNAIDS statistics there are more than 33 million people living with HIV in the world today, 2 million of them are children under 15. The United Nations is appealing for international donors to help it fund early HIV/Aids testing it says could save millions of lives.

A combined report from the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (Unicef), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) says the majority of infants in the developing world are not tested for the virus until they are 18 months. Last year less than ten per cent of infants born to HIV-positive mothers were tested before they were two months old.

But Unicef says a new test, dubbed the dry blood spot (DBS) test could spot the virus at six weeks, enabling infants to undergo treatments of life-saving retrovial drugs.

Unicef UK’s chief executive David Bull said: “Without treatment, half of all children with HIV will die by their second birthday. But if they are diagnosed and put on treatment within their first 12 weeks of live, survival rates are 75 per cent higher. Early diagnosis can save lives.”

Mr Bull added that if the world way to achieve the goal of universal access to treatment by 2010 $72.4 billion worth of donations will be needed over the next two years.

Questions and answers about HIV/AIDS

What is HIV? A virus that attacks the body’s immune system – the body’s defence against diseases. Without effective treatment the immune system will eventually become very weak and no longer be able to fight off illnesses.

Are HIV and AIDS the same? When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

Is there a cure for HIV? No, but treatment can keep the virus under control and the immune system healthy. People on HIV treatment can live a healthy, active life, although they may experience side effects from the treatment. If HIV is diagnosed late, treatment may be less effective in preventing AIDS.

What’s it like living with HIV? If people with HIV are diagnosed early and respond to treatment they can be healthy, work and have relationships like anyone else and have a long life expectancy.

Looking to the future

During 2007 some 2.5 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world. Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. Find out what you can do today:

Participate to world wide events: www.worldaidsday.org/events

Test your knowledge and spread the word: www.avert.org/game

Get informed: www.unaids.org

 

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