Over one million receive treatment

The number of people receiving HIV antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan
Africa has surpassed the one million mark for the first time, but much work
remains to be done to reach the goal of providing universal access to
prevention, treatment and care by 2010, said a UN health care agency
official at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto last week The one
million figure represents a tenfold increase since December 2003, according
to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“In many ways we are still at the beginning of this effort,” said Dr. Kevin
De Cock, WHO’s HIV/AIDS Director. “We have reached just one quarter of the
people in need in low and middle-income countries, and the number of those
who need treatment will continue to grow.”

The WHO notes that many nations are suffering “crippling” shortages of
HIV-related health workers, many of whom are either becoming infected
themselves or leaving for better-paying jobs in larger cities and wealthier
countries. “The shortage of health workers is devastating public health
systems, particularly in the developing world,” said Dr. Anarfi
Asamoa-Baah, Assistant Director-General of WHO. “It is one of the most
significant challenges we face in preventing and treating HIV.”

To confront the problem, the agency has launched, in collaboration with the
International Labour Organization and the International Organization for
Migration, a new plan called “Treat, Train, Retain”. The initiative is
aimed at providing health care workers themselves with access to HIV/AIDS
services while at the same time helping countries increase the number of
health workers, maximize their efficiency and retain them.