Global AIDS Fight Faces Setback as Funding Cuts Threaten Progress
Geneva – A resurgence of AIDS-related deaths is feared as international funding for HIV prevention adn treatment programs dwindles,notably in regions hardest hit by the disease. December 1st marks World AIDS Day, a time to raise awareness and remember the millions lost to the disease, but this year’s observance is shadowed by concerns over reduced aid commitments.
The United Nations warns that decreased support to countries grappling with high HIV prevalence could reverse decades of progress. Winnie Byanyima, head of the United Nations organization UNAIDS, reports that support has “disappeared fully” in several areas. The United States, a major donor, recently closed its international aid organization, USAID, and has scaled back its contributions, potentially impacting the more than 20 million people who have received anti-HIV medications through US-funded programs.
AIDS, a hazardous disease, has claimed several million lives, with the majority of deaths occurring in Asia and Africa. The disease is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which attacks the human immune system. HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids such as semen,blood,and breast milk. As the virus weakens the body’s defenses, it can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
While there are currently medicines available to slow the virus’s progression, access to these life-saving treatments is now at risk due to funding cuts. Without medication, individuals with AIDS are likely to die. World AIDS Day was first established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1988 to increase awareness and understanding of the disease.
Key Facts About HIV/AIDS:
* HIV is a virus.
* HIV is transmitted from one person to another through semen, blood, or breast milk.
* The virus destroys or damages cells in the human immune system,weakening the body’s defense against infections and diseases.
* When the body’s defenses are severely compromised, a person can develop AIDS.
* Medicines are available to slow the destruction of the immune system caused by HIV.
* Without these medications, a person will likely die of AIDS.
