Organization:
Contact: David Harwood
Abstract: Today, there are 40 million people living with the disease. To these individuals and their families, compassionate care and effective treatment are urgent priorities.
60 million people have been infected with HIV and millions more affected by the death and illness of loved ones. Today, there are 40 million people living with the disease. To these individuals and their families, compassionate care and effective treatment are urgent priorities. In developed countries like the United States, many citizens have become complacent about the HIV/AIDS crisis in view of the effectiveness of drug therapies that have prolonged the lives of people living with the disease. However, these therapies cost tens of thousands of dollars and have much more significant effects than most people realize. In addition, antiretroviral drugs are not a cure for the disease. Moreover, in poorer parts of the world, these therapies are prohibitively expensive and thus a distant hope for people living with AIDS. Significant progress has been made in terms of encouraging broader access to expensive treatments. The UN and others have made great strides in working with pharmaceutical manufacturers to establish tiered-pricing structures whereby poor nations can more realistically afford drugs, consistent with patent protections and international trade regimes. Caring for people living with AIDS and their families extends beyond antiretrovirals, however. In many cultures, this includes reducing the stigmatization of HIV/AIDS infection. In many places the pressures associated with a positive diagnosis are enough to discourage testing and to deny the truth about infection. That is why ensuring the dignity and human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS is high on the international agenda. The care agenda also includes providing support to caregivers and health care workers, who face special pressures, risks and challenges.