In brief

Three letters to The Lancet, two from MSF and a third from UNAIDS, replying to recent positions on cost-effectiveness of AIDS treatment versus prevention.

An estimated 40 million people are currently infected with HIV worldwide, 95% of whom live in the developing world. The overwhelming majority of people with HIV/AIDS still do not have access to life-prolonging treatment. Recent advocacy efforts have brought together people living with HIV/AIDS, clinicians, AIDS activists, and other experts from both developing and developed countries to fight for the common goal of equitable and sustainable access to affordable HIV treatment in developing countries.

These campaigns have focused unprecedented international attention on the access crisis, and have achieved some significant victories. But dramatic shifts in policy have not yet translated into broad improvements in access to affordable medicines in the developing world. Millions of people continue to die each year from HIV/AIDS for lack of access to treatment.

MSF shall be maintaining a dedicated site for the AIDS Conference and the link shall be hosted on the Intenational site front page when active. This site shall contain all information about MSF attendees, scheduled speakers, papers presented and other information from the XIV International AIDS Conference.

AIDS and promises - an alphabet soup of good intentions

G8, EU, OAU, UNGASS and the WTO have all made elaborate promises for the Global Fund. But the reality is, of the $2.08 billion that has been pledged, only $700-800 million will be available for disbursal in 2002. This figure is less than a tenth of what is estimated to be required each year to tackle AIDS alone.

Waiting to treat AIDS is a crime, MSF press release July 7 

MSF and Health Gap have accused wealthy nations of wilful neglect that is costing milions of lives.

MSF International President Morten Rostrup states: "Today and every day, more than 8,000 people with AIDS will die. Yet the international community refuses to mount and fund an adequate global response - we are faced with nothing less than a crime against humanity."

MSF is participating at the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Sain, addressing the urgent needs and action required in the fight against AIDS, through both prevention and treatment.

PERSPECTIVE: From the Glasgow Sunday Herald, July 7, 2002
As Africa-style Aids epidemics are set to spread to Eastern Europe and India, the richer nations are only giving a fraction of what's needed.

ALSO

Economics and the impact of AIDS

In the lead up to the XIV International AIDS Conference, two recent articles examine the economics and impact of AIDS in developing countries.

The Wall Street Journal, July 3 - World AIDS experts debate

With the world finally coughing up a bit of cash to address the global AIDS pandemic, an agonizing debate is resurfacing: How much should be spent to treat those already infected and how much should be spent on preventing others from getting infected?

The Lancet, July 6 - The economics of HIV in Africa

Fighting terrorism has been identified as the top G8 prority. AIDS has fallen in priority. This reordering does not make sense.