International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

A new United Nations (UN) report has stated that the global effort to reduce the number of new HIV/Aids infections, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is failing, reports Associated Press.

In June 2011, a UN-sponsored meeting set a target of reversing the spread of Aids by ensuring infection rates began to decrease by 2015. However, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes that critical challenges remain.

"It will be impossible to achieve global targets without sufficient financial resources," he said.

Mr Ki-moon said that $15 billion is currently available to fight the pandemic, but funding needs to swell to $24 billion if people in Africa are to get access to the drugs they need.

According to the report, in 2010, 70 per cent of those who were newly-infected with HIV lived in sub-Sahara Africa and to reduce this figure more than 15 million people will need access to antiretroviral medicines by 2015 - more than double the amount currently being given treatment.

Posted by David Smith