Getting to Zero

Health

World AIDS Day – marked this year on Saturday, Dec. 1 – is focusing on a future when the disease will be just a tragic memory.

The 2012 theme is — and will be until 2015 — “Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections. Zero Discrimination. Zero AIDS Related Deaths.”

A new World AIDS Day report: Results, by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), shows that unprecedented acceleration in the AIDS response is producing results for people.

Declining new HIV infections in children
The area where perhaps most progress is being made is in reducing new HIV infections in children. Half of the global reductions in new HIV infections in the last two years have been among newborn children.

Fewer AIDS-related deaths
The report shows that antiretroviral therapy has emerged as a powerful force for saving lives. In the last 24 months the number of people accessing treatment has increased by 63% globally.

More investments
The report shows that countries are increasing investments in the AIDS response despite a difficult economic climate. The global gap in resources needed annually by 2015 is now at 30%. In 2011, US$ 16.8 billion was available and the need for 2015 is between US$ 22-24 billion.

In 2011, an estimated:

34 million [31.4 million – 35.9 million] people globally were living with HIV
2.5 million [2.2 million – 2.8 million] people became newly infected with HIV
1.7 million [1.5 million – 1.9 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses

10 goals for 2015

Sexual transmission of HIV reduced by half, including among young people, men who have sex with men and transmission in the context of sex work;
Vertical transmission of HIV eliminated and AIDS-related maternal deaths reduced by half;
All new HIV infections prevented among people who use drugs;
Universal access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV who are eligible for treatment;
TB deaths among people living with HIV reduced by half;
All people living with HIV and households affected by HIV are addressed in all national social protection strategies and have access to essential care and support;
Countries with punitive laws and practices around HIV transmission, sex work, drug use or homosexuality that block effective responses reduced by half;
HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence eliminated in half of the countries that have such restrictions;
HIV-specific needs of women and girls are addressed in at least half of all national HIV responses;
Zero tolerance for gender-based violence.