Update
Discussing Fast-Track at ICASA
01 December 2015
01 December 2015 01 December 2015The importance of accelerating the response to HIV over the next five years was discussed at a UNAIDS special session held on 30 November at the 18th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), which is taking place in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Panelists noted how the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach offered a road map to break the epidemic, putting the world on course to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Countries are adopting the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach with the aim of doubling the number of people accessing HIV treatment by 2020. Fast-Track includes a 90–90–90 treatment target of ensuring that 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are on treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads.
The participants also discussed the successes of highly effective HIV prevention and treatment programmes, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis, voluntary medical male circumcision and tailored sexual and reproductive health services.
Earlier at ICASA, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director Luiz Loures and United States Global AIDS Ambassador Deborah Birx took part in a plenary session entitled “Ending AIDS by 2030: an achievable goal” and spoke about the importance of communities.
Quotes
“Regional partners are definitely important, but it is all about people. Fragile communities are everywhere, but community responses achieve results. Reaching the end of AIDS is doable. Nelson Mandela’s call to “break the silence” is even more important today.”
“If the world came together and adopted the World Health Organization guidelines, we could double the number on treatment. This is bold. This is extraordinary, but it is also possible.”
“Without the involvement of people living with HIV, there is no ending of AIDS. I call upon governments, funders and partners to invest in communities, because it is these communities that are going to help us get to the end of AIDS.”
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