Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
BBC News - December 1, 2005
On World Aids Day, the executive director of UNAids, Peter Piot, said proper investment could roll back the progress of the disease.
An estimated 40 million people are currently infected with HIV - the virus that can lead to Aids.
More than 20 million have died since the condition was first recognised.
"The lessons of nearly 25 years into the Aids epidemic are clear. Investments made in HIV prevention break the cycle of new infections," Mr Piot said.
"By making these investments, each and every country can reverse the spread of Aids."
He said the alternative was to accept that international efforts would always fail to keep pace with the number of HIV infections and Aids-related deaths.
Around the world events were being held to raise awareness of the disease.
In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was joining student volunteers and ballet dancers to publicise efforts to combat the disease, which the government says is seriously under-reported in the country's regions.
Children ignored
In Kenya the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres complained it could not effectively treat infected children as "pharmaceutical companies are not making child-friendly versions of their anti-Aids drugs".
"Half of all children with HIV/Aids die before the age of two," it said.
The BBC's Andrew North in Kabul says Afghanistan does not have a major Aids problem - on paper.
There are only 35 confirmed cases at Kabul's blood bank, he says - but the reality in the war-shattered country is much harder to gauge.
The UN fears Aids could spread rapidly among the nearly one million Afghans estimated to inject drugs.
US demands
The US urged other countries to dedicate more funds to the global fight against Aids.
"The US is providing about 50% of all the resources for HIV/Aids among international governments and that fundamentally needs to change," said Mark Dybul, the White House's deputy global Aids coordinator.
The UK has pledged millions to develop vaccines, but a government report warned that targets on HIV/Aids made at the G8 summit in Scotland in July may be undermined by a failure to monitor progress.
Australia said it would spend Aus$10m (US$7.4m) to help fight Aids in India.
But Gabe McCarthy, president of the National Association for People Living with HIV/Aids in Australia, said her country was not doing enough.
"It seems these days that HIV just isn't as sexy as bird flu," she said.
The warnings came as the World Health Organization, criticised for failing to meet a target for 3m people to get access to anti-retroviral drugs by the end of this year, said progress was being made.
Dr Jim Yong Kim, director of the WHO's HIV/Aids department, said at least 1.5m would get the drugs.
He added: "More than 50 countries have doubled, or more, the numbers of people getting anti-retroviral therapy."
051201
BB051204
Copyright © 2005 - BBC. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BBC.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.
.