Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - November 28, 2005
Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the director of the WHO's HIV/AIDS department, admitted that the WHO had not moved quickly enough to meet its ambitious "3 by 5" target.
"I have to say that I'm personally extremely disappointed in myself and in my colleagues because we have not moved quickly enough -- we have not saved enough lives," Kim told the BBC.
The WHO and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) had hoped to provide 3 million of the 6 million people in poor countries with treatment but the real acceleration in numbers they had hoped for did not materialize.
The exact number of HIV/AIDS sufferers on treatment will be announced early next year. In June, Kim said about 1 million people in poor countries were receiving the drugs.
"All we can do is apologize," he said less than a week before World AIDS Day on December 1.
Although the 3 million mark will not be reached, Kim said he didn't think the initiative had failed because the program had increased the number of people on antiretroviral drugs and had saved lives.
Because of the "3 by 5" initiative, many more countries had joined the program and provided access to AIDS drugs.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region worst affected by HIV/AIDS, about half a million people were receiving treatment by the middle of 2005. Although it was a three-fold increase in the last year, it was still only about 15 percent of those who need it.
People on treatment in Asia had risen from 55,000 to 155,000 since June 2004, while in eastern Europe and central Asia people on treatment nearly doubled in a year to 20,000, according to the "3 by 5" update report issued in June.
Kim said before the initiative there were no targets for treatment or for preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, which killed 3.1 million people in 2005.
More than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, according to latest figures from UNAIDS.
051128
RE051138
Copyright © 2005 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation 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. .