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Dr Sidibe

Roselyne Sachiti in MELBOURNE, Australia
THE United Nations has agreed to propose a new target of ending HIV, TB and malaria by 2030 as the three remain an unfinished agenda of the Millennium Development Goals, UNAIDS director Dr Michel Sidibe has said. Addressing around 12 000 delegates from about 200 countries gathered at the Melbourne Convention Centre for the official opening of the 20th International Aids Conference, Dr Sidibe said it was time to move toward a new and bold achievable target for HIV and Aids.
The initial target for all eight MDGs was 2015, but HIV, malaria and TB (Goal six) remain a challenge in many countries and likely to miss the deadline.

“Today I am calling for ending Aids by 2030. Voluntary testing and treatment should reach everyone everywhere. Each person with HIV should reach viral suppression. No one dies from Aids or is born with HIV. People living with HIV live with dignity protected by laws and free to move anywhere in the world. We all agree on what ending HIV by 2013 means.

“We will bring the epidemic under control so that it is not a public health threat to any community, village, family or individual,” he said.
He said the health and quality of life of people living with HIV and Aids would remain UNAIDS’ priority.

He added that too many people were being left behind adding that the needs of special groups like migrants, women and girls and people with disabilities among others should be met if the world wants stability, peace and sustainable development.

“We cannot run away from the crisis in paediatric Aids. We must make sure 100 percent treatment coverage for all children with HIV. No children should die of Aids. We cannot run away from the TB epidemic among people with HIV. All our efforts to keep people with HIV alive will be lost if they die from TB.

“We cannot run away from adolescents, HIV is the leading cause for adolescent mortality in Africa especially among young women. This is a moral injustice. I am calling on young people to lead the new all-in initiative with Unicef and UNAIDS to end the adolescent Aids epidemic,” he added.

He said they cannot accept the high cost of second and third line regiment, and that of viral load tests.
“These prices are out of control and out of reach. We urgently need a viral load test that is under US$5. We must concentrate our limited resources to where most infections are and where most people die,” he said.

According to Dr Sidibe, the world needs a new catch up plan for the 15 countries that account for 75 percent of new HIV infections and Aids deaths.
“For the G20, the Brics and private sector, ending Aids will be a litmus test for global solidarity and shared responsibility.
“We have a window of opportunity of five years if we outsmart and scale up fast.

“By 2020 we will be on track to end the epidemic by 2030,” he added.
The opening ceremony included a minute of silence to remember those who died on their way to Melbourne when Malaysian plane MH17 was shot down.
The theme of the 2014 conference which ends on Friday is “Stepping up the Pace”.