To fight as fatal a health hazard as AIDS, countries need to take lead in fighting HIV. Even global AIDS experts claim that countries that take the lead in directing domestic efforts against HIV and AIDS seem to have the greatest success in tackling the deadly virus.
The experts allege that AIDS cannot be fought until the host country implements the various steps required or as mentioned by the global AIDS fighting bodies. Because mere paper work will be of no help, implementation is a must, and that would be only possible if the Government administration is willing of the said country.
Portraying the example of Rwanda, the experts extolled the government of the African nation for taking ownership of the response and coordinating global relief efforts. The countries have voids in such a kind of leadership, things don’t move as fast and so do the relief efforts.
Doreen Mulenga, acting chief of HIV and AIDS for the United Nations Children’s Fund, declared that along with Rwanda, countries like India, Botswana, South Africa have made significant progress in scaling up HIV treatment for children. Though, Rwanda leads all other nations in such efforts.
She also mentioned that few countries are not yet fully integrating pediatric treatment for children with adult care settings, which is limiting access to treatment. She asserted that this step is a must on the part of the countries to guard their children against the virus.
Around 1500 delegates from international relief organizations and governments are meeting in Kigali, Rwanda to compare notes on the best ways to fight HIV and AIDS on June 16 to 19.
In 2003, President George W. Bush launched a five-year President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), $15 billion plan to supply drugs to people infected with the HIV that causes AIDS and support prevention efforts.
Dr. Tom Kenyon, chief deputy coordinator of the PEPFAR, a U.S. effort to combat AIDS globally, asserts that the best results come from countries where the host government assumes the leadership for the response. The fight has to be led by the host country from front.
AIDS is an incurable disease and has claimed more than 25 million lives since it was first recognized in 1981. A total of 40 million people now live with human immunodeficiency virus. South Africa leads the rest of the world in number of AIDS victims.
Via: Yahoo
