To reach millions in need, AIDS treatment must be adapted to poor countries
Dec 01, 2003
MSF calls for more concern towards AIDS patients around the world
Today, 40 million people are HIV positive in the world. More than six million people are in urgent need of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, and only 400,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world are receiving the treatment. Millions of people with AIDS could benefit from life-saving ARV medicines, only if treatment models become much better adapted to the real-life situation of developing countries, according to international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
By the end of the year, MSF worldwide will have 11,000 patients - more than quadrupled the number of patients since this January - on ARV treatment.
On the World AIDS Day today, MSF Hong Kong launches a website on "AIDS in Asia", which includes general background information about HIV/AIDS in Asia and stories told by MSF field volunteers from the medical frontline. The real-life stories show that patients can be effectively treated even in dire situations and positive impact can be brought to the patients' lives once treatment is available. Media organisations are welcome to publish the stories and members of the public are encouraged to extend their wishes to AIDS patients in Asia through the website.
MSF Hong Kong World AIDS Day website: http://aids.msf.org.hk
MSF is supportive of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s ambitious new goal of scaling up AIDS treatment in developing countries, and has been sharing its expertise and experience with the WHO AIDS team. MSF is also working with endemic country governments to assist their efforts to scale-up treatment.
MSF believes that there are at least five crucial factors to make WHO's initiative successful:
Currently, MSF is running 42 HIV/AIDS projects in 19 countries. The number of patients we treat will increase to 11,000 by the end of the year, including 2,400 patients in six Asian countries (China, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Myanmar). MSF plans to have more than 25,000 patients under treatment by the end of 2004 worldwide.
Today, 40 million people are HIV positive in the world. More than six million people are in urgent need of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, and only 400,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world are receiving the treatment. Millions of people with AIDS could benefit from life-saving ARV medicines, only if treatment models become much better adapted to the real-life situation of developing countries, according to international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
By the end of the year, MSF worldwide will have 11,000 patients - more than quadrupled the number of patients since this January - on ARV treatment.
On the World AIDS Day today, MSF Hong Kong launches a website on "AIDS in Asia", which includes general background information about HIV/AIDS in Asia and stories told by MSF field volunteers from the medical frontline. The real-life stories show that patients can be effectively treated even in dire situations and positive impact can be brought to the patients' lives once treatment is available. Media organisations are welcome to publish the stories and members of the public are encouraged to extend their wishes to AIDS patients in Asia through the website.
MSF Hong Kong World AIDS Day website: http://aids.msf.org.hk
MSF is supportive of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s ambitious new goal of scaling up AIDS treatment in developing countries, and has been sharing its expertise and experience with the WHO AIDS team. MSF is also working with endemic country governments to assist their efforts to scale-up treatment.
MSF believes that there are at least five crucial factors to make WHO's initiative successful:
- the use of triple fixed-dose combinations (e.g. one pill twice a day) which dramatically simplifies treatment and improves patients adherence;
- the affordability of treatment for the patient: the cost of treatment for the patient should never be a barrier;
- the price of the medicines: the lower the price, the more patients can be treated and the more sustainable treatment is in the long-term;
- simplify and decentralise: treatment needs to be well suited to resource-poor contexts - easy for ministries of health to implement and for patients to take; and
- people living with AIDS and the community need to be involved in scale-up plans.
Currently, MSF is running 42 HIV/AIDS projects in 19 countries. The number of patients we treat will increase to 11,000 by the end of the year, including 2,400 patients in six Asian countries (China, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Myanmar). MSF plans to have more than 25,000 patients under treatment by the end of 2004 worldwide.
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