GENEVANews (Updated
June 13, 2010)
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2010-06-09
Around 2.8 million people
with HIV across the globe have received life-saving antiretroviral (ARV)
treatment by mid-year, a 22 percent increase from the like period last year,
according to a report released Wednesday.
The Global Fund, which
released its report in
The Global Fund supported
tuberculosis programmes have so far provided seven million people with effective
TB drugs treatment.
'This is a 30 percent
increase from mid-2009. Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death among
people infected with HIV. The World Health Organization estimating that one in
four TB deaths worldwide is HIV-related,' said an official statement.
The Global Fund also
reported progress in the fight against malaria, with a cumulative total of 122
million insecticide-treated bed nets delivered through its funded programmes to
families at risk of contracting the disease.
With more than $10 billion
disbursed to more than 500 grants so far, the Global Fund currently provides
around one-fifth of international resources to fight AIDS, as well as 63 percent
of international funding to fight tuberculosis and 60 percent of international
funding to fight malaria.
'As a result, 5.7 million
lives have been saved. In less than a decade, the Global Fund has gone from an
idea to a highly efficient tool to turn donor resources into lives saved,' said
Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund.
Additional results showed
that a total of 2.3 billion condoms have been distributed while 930,000
HIV-positive pregnant women have received a complete course of ARV prophylaxis
to reduce mother-to-child transmission.
Besides, 120 million HIV
counselling and testing sessions have been conducted and 4.9 million basic care
and support services have been provided to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children
since the Global Fund started financing grants in 2003.
The results reported
combine data from individual programs supported by the Global Fund in 144
countries.
In October 2010, UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will chair a meeting of the Global Fund's donors
where they will pledge resources for the period 2011-13.
'The Global Fund assesses that it will need between $17 billion and $20 billion to respond to demand from developing countries for resources to fight the three diseases during the coming three years,' he said.
By FRANK JORDANS (AP) –
3 days ago
GENEVA
The case shocked
Investigating magistrate
Hermann Fleischhackl said a probe was launched after one alleged victim filed a
criminal complaint in early 2005.
So far, 19 people with HIV
have been found to have had contact with the unidentified acupuncturist, he
said.
"Fifteen believe
their infection may have something to do with the accused," Fleischhackl
told The Associated Press. "Four people have no explanation for their
infection or at least aren't linking it to the accused."
The infections are
believed to have taken place between 2001 and 2005, authorities said.
HIV is transmitted through
bodily fluids such as blood, semen or breast milk, and it is unclear how the
victims were infected with the virus. Several Swiss newspapers have reported
that some of the victims claim to have been injected with infected blood.
Fleischhackl declined to
comment on the reports, saying the cause of the infection was part of the
ongoing investigation.
The magistrate said he
will decide by next year whether to recommend the man be formally charged with
multiple cases of intentionally spreading a human disease and causing serious
bodily harm. The offenses carry maximum penalties of five and 10 years
respectively.
Copyright © 2010 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved.
KUALA
TERENGGANU, June 9 (Bernama) -- More than 70 per cent of the 87,710 HIV/AIDS
sufferers in the country are Muslims, Malaysian AIDS Council vice-president
Datuk Zaman Khan said on Wednesday.
Therefore, he said, the celebration for this year's World AIDS Day would
emphasise efforts to enhance the participation of and awareness on AIDS among
Muslims.
He said what was more worrying a report by the United Nations General Assembly
Special Session (UNGASS)on AIDS which stated that nine Malaysians were infected
with the disease everyday.
Also of concern was the spread of the disease among women, from 9.5 per cent in
2000 to 20 per cent last year, he said when speaking at a function to
commemorate World AIDS Day here Tuesday night.
He said that in 2000 the main cause of women being infected with HIV/AIDS was
drug addiction, but lately, it had been attributed to heterosexual sex (30 per
cent).
This happened because of lack of concern and cooperation from the society to
protect women from the disease, he added.
On HIV/AIDS sufferers in Terengganu, he said, a total of 315 new cases were
reported last year.
Kelantan recorded the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases at 596, followed by
Pahang (431) and Selangor (378), he added.