Former US President Bill Clinton has highlighted that finding more economically efficient ways to respond to HIV is vital to saving lives and preventing the spread of the virus.
Mr Clinton made his comments during his address at AIDS 2014, the 20th International AIDS Conference.
Mr Clinton said meeting global HIV prevention and support targets is possible within the “existing funding envelope”, but only if resources are used more effectively. “The development of super-efficient systems can help us achieve the 90 / 90 / 90 goals,” Mr Clinton said, referring to the UNAIDS 2020 targets of 90% of people with HIV knowing their status, 90% of people with HIV receiving antiretroviral treatment and 90% of people on treatment having an undetectable viral load.
The former President, who has been a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS research, encouraged delegates and the conference to keep striving towards their goal to rid the world of the virus. Through his charity Mr Clinton has raised millions of dollars towards HIV/AIDS research and health care.
“The AIDS-free world that so many of you have worked to build is just over the horizon. We need to step up the pace,” Mr Clinton said.
Mr Clinton also highlighted delivering care in remote regions and ending mother to child transmission of HIV as two areas for health providers to focus on.
Mr Clinton said one of the biggest challenges is delivering care to patients in a better way in rural and remote areas.
“How can we reduce the distance they travel to the clinics, the time they wait, the money they spend? How can we launch programs to ensure they feel supported in their communities without the stigma that makes people still, after all these years, drop out of care,” Mr Clinton said.
Mr Clinton said ending mother to child transmission of HIV, and supporting children with HIV is another challenge – as well as a tremendous opportunity for sustaining progress in the response to HIV. “Almost 50% of all new paediatric infections occur during the breastfeeding period. So keeping these women in care until the end of the breast-feeding period is the single most important thing we can do to achieve an AIDS-free generation.”
OIP Staff
Image 1: 20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014). International AIDS Society, at the Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia. WESS01. Former US President Bill Clinton during his speech; ‘Put Patients Health First to Improve Outcomes and Programme Efficienty’. Photo: International AIDS Society/Steve Forrest
Image 2: Clinton walks along Yarra International AIDS Society/Elisabetta Fino
