"More money, less impact" HIV/AIDS claim

The international HIV/AIDS agencies have received such a glut of funds over the past few years that they are unable to spend it. According to a USA-based think-tank, as a result of the influx "a new bureaucracy has sprung up to duplicate efforts and to focus on treatment instead of the one and only measure that can reduce HIV/AIDS: prevention."

The World Health Organization and the UNAIDS program aim to put 10 million HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral treatment by 2010, up from 1.7 million today, according to Jeremiah Norris, director of the Center for Science in Public Policy at the Washington DC-based Hudson Institute.

However, the previous WHO plan was to have "3 by 5," or three million patients on antiretroviral courses by 2005 (Marketletter April 3, 2006). Although the problem was initially lack of funding, Dr Norris believes that the main obstacles are now about the "ability of governments to provide functioning health infrastructure," although the price of drugs has become a convenient scapegoat.