United Nations and World Leaders Prepare for HIV/AIDS Special Session

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May 25, 2001 – In one month, world leaders will gather in New York for the UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS, aimed at developing a global action plan and marshalling international political and financial commitments to confront the escalating global HIV/AIDS crisis, which has impacted more than 60 million people around the world.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is emerging as one of the great economic, social, security and development challenges of the early 21st century, as evidenced by the dramatic and devastating impact of the disease and its emergence at the top of the agenda for international cooperation.

Recent developments include:

As of the end of 2000, there were more than 36 million people in the world living with HIV/AIDS – 50% more than the World Health Organization estimated less than 10 years earlier. Of the total, 16.4 million are women and 1.5 million are children. More than 90 percent of all cases are occurring in developing countries. To date, more than 22 million people have died from AIDS (including more than 13 million women and children).

Momentum is building for creation of a major new international trust fund to finance international HIV/AIDS response efforts. Called for by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and endorsed by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the G-7, the fund would support prevention, treatment and care efforts around the world. President Bush recently pledged a $200 million initial commitment on behalf of the United States.

Thirty-nine pharmaceutical companies dropped a lawsuit against the Government of South Africa aimed at preventing that country from operationalizing a law that would facilitate production of generic drugs for AIDS treatment and thereby lower prices and make the drugs more accessible.

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative has raised more than $230 million, including a $100 million challenge grant from the , to accelerate the development and delivery of a preventive AIDS vaccine.

HIV/AIDS is increasingly recognized as a global security issue, with the potential to destabilize countries and regions. The UN Security Council has held four sessions on the HIV/AIDS issue in the past year and UNAIDS and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations have entered into an agreement to help prevent the spread of the disease among peacekeepers and vulnerable populations during conflict.

Experience has revealed that use of anti-retroviral drugs during pregnancy and delivery, combined with other strategies, can reduce the incidence of mother-to-child transmission by up to 66%.

Goals for the UN Special Session

At the UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS, delegates will work to develop an agreed international action plan, backed up by concrete financial commitments. The agreement will focus on five key areas identified by the Secretary-General:

Prevention – ensuring that all individuals know how to guard against infection

Reducing the incidence of Mother-to-Child transmission of the virus

Treatment (such as antiretroviral drugs) and care for those infected with HIV/AIDS

Development of safe, effective and affordable preventive vaccines and cures

Care for those impacted by the disease, particularly the 13 million AIDS orphans

Two concrete outcomes are anticipated at the Special Session: 1) a “Declaration of Commitment,” including pledges related to national action and financial assistance; and 2) establishment of a major new Trust Fund of between $7-10 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, strengthen the public health infrastructure and address closely related health challenges, including tuberculosis and malaria.

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