Top donor countries oppose crucial treatment target ahead of UN AIDS Summit, says MSF

A report released yesterday by the international medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) revealed that several countries hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic are improving HIV treatment to reduce deaths and illness - but a lack of support from donors prevents many from making vital changes.

This fragile progress needs sustained support, but the two biggest AIDS donors, the USA and UK, are opposing a critical HIV treatment target ahead of next month’s United Nations AIDS Summit in New York at a time when mounting evidence shows that HIV treatment can also prevent HIV infections, claims MSF.

“Our report shows that there is clear engagement from countries to providing an ambitious response to AIDS, by changing their guidelines to put people on treatment earlier and with better drugs,” said Tido von Schoen-Angerer, executive director of MSF’s Access Campaign. “But, because of funding constraints, some of them are unable to put these guidelines into practice, which serves as a reminder of how fragile this progress really is,” he added.