WHO insists it can meet its target for antiretrovirals by 2005
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《英国医生杂志》
A huge international effort is under way to get lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment to three million people with AIDS in poor countries by the end of 2005, said the World Health Organization, but added that its six month campaign had fallen short of interim targets,.
In all, 400 000 AIDS patients in developing countries were receiving antiretrovirals when WHO launched its "3 by 5 strategy." That figure has edged up to 440 000, said WHO's progress report, presented at the international AIDS conference this week.
"Although this was disappointing, the absolute increase of 40,000 people in a few months does indicate that country and international efforts to scale up HIV-AIDS treatment are resulting in progress," WHO said in its progress report.
The progress report is likely to fuel critics of WHO's 3 by 5 campaign, who contend that it is overambitious, poorly managed, and too focused on lowering drug prices.
WHO's director general, Dr Lee Jong-wook, who has staked his reputation on the 3 by 5 campaign since he took office a year ago, dismissed critics and said much had been done to lay the foundations of a system for distributing medicines and providing treatment.
Dr Lee insisted it was still possible to get antiretroviral treatment to the remaining 2 560 000 people by the end of 2005 and noted that the number of people in developing countries taking antiretroviral drugs had already doubled in the past two years.
The response to the campaign had been enthusiastic. The report said that 56 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, have requested technical help from WHO and help with recruitment and training of health workers to give treatment.
WHO has created an AIDS medicines and diagnostics service, which has started to help countries purchase antiretroviral medicines at affordable prices, in particular fixed dose combination pills or blister packs containing three generic antiretroviral drugs, which are seen as key to simplifying treatment and its delivery to millions of people.
An AIDS patient receives antiretroviral drugs in a Kenyan hospital. The number of people in developing countries taking such drugs has doubled in two years
Credit: SVEN TORFINN/PANOS
Since the start of the 3 by 5 campaign, an initial funding gap has been filled by donor pledges—particularly from Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the report said.
But more needs to be done to ensure that people can be tested for HIV; about 100 000 paramedics need to be trained to give antiretroviral treatment; and prices need to be dragged down further, the report said.
Although WHO's current benchmark price of antiretroviral drugs of $150 (￡80; 120) per person a year is now half what it was a year ago, not all countries had been able to achieve that. The current average price is now $484, which is still prohibitively high, the report said. It also said that generic antiretrovirals had not yet been registered in many countries which contributed to the high cost.(Fiona Fleck)
In all, 400 000 AIDS patients in developing countries were receiving antiretrovirals when WHO launched its "3 by 5 strategy." That figure has edged up to 440 000, said WHO's progress report, presented at the international AIDS conference this week.
"Although this was disappointing, the absolute increase of 40,000 people in a few months does indicate that country and international efforts to scale up HIV-AIDS treatment are resulting in progress," WHO said in its progress report.
The progress report is likely to fuel critics of WHO's 3 by 5 campaign, who contend that it is overambitious, poorly managed, and too focused on lowering drug prices.
WHO's director general, Dr Lee Jong-wook, who has staked his reputation on the 3 by 5 campaign since he took office a year ago, dismissed critics and said much had been done to lay the foundations of a system for distributing medicines and providing treatment.
Dr Lee insisted it was still possible to get antiretroviral treatment to the remaining 2 560 000 people by the end of 2005 and noted that the number of people in developing countries taking antiretroviral drugs had already doubled in the past two years.
The response to the campaign had been enthusiastic. The report said that 56 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, have requested technical help from WHO and help with recruitment and training of health workers to give treatment.
WHO has created an AIDS medicines and diagnostics service, which has started to help countries purchase antiretroviral medicines at affordable prices, in particular fixed dose combination pills or blister packs containing three generic antiretroviral drugs, which are seen as key to simplifying treatment and its delivery to millions of people.
An AIDS patient receives antiretroviral drugs in a Kenyan hospital. The number of people in developing countries taking such drugs has doubled in two years
Credit: SVEN TORFINN/PANOS
Since the start of the 3 by 5 campaign, an initial funding gap has been filled by donor pledges—particularly from Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the report said.
But more needs to be done to ensure that people can be tested for HIV; about 100 000 paramedics need to be trained to give antiretroviral treatment; and prices need to be dragged down further, the report said.
Although WHO's current benchmark price of antiretroviral drugs of $150 (￡80; 120) per person a year is now half what it was a year ago, not all countries had been able to achieve that. The current average price is now $484, which is still prohibitively high, the report said. It also said that generic antiretrovirals had not yet been registered in many countries which contributed to the high cost.(Fiona Fleck)