Photo: Glenna Gordon/IRIN
A red ribbon, the symbol for the global fight against HIV/AIDS (file photo).
“As we surge towards an AIDS-free generation, we need to realistically face the challenges. Resting on our laurels is insufficient.”
The 2012 International AIDS conference touted progress in combating HIV/AIDS and creating an “AIDS-free generation”. Through programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, billions have been spent on prevention education, early diagnosis, treatment protocols and medicines. Pioneering partnerships galvanized the global community, and statistics and compelling success stories abound.
As we surge towards an AIDS-free generation, we need to realistically face the challenges. Resting on our laurels is insufficient. We need to move beyond rhetoric and guarantee results that reach hundreds of millions more people– effectively and sustainably. To conquer this disease, our efforts must be universal – we have to reach every child, woman and man.
In a recent Skoll World Forum op-ed, the managing director of the World Bank, Caroline Anstey, rightly pointed out that “In the 20th century, economic growth was driven by the ability to transport goods and people efficiently and economically – with automobiles, planes and ships. In the 21st century, it will be the ability to produce, capture, communicate and analyze information to drive new forms of growth and social development.”
Yet, what is considered “problem solved” in a few countries is the biggest barrier in much of the world – especially in Africa. The fact remains that physical access is fundamental, not just to economic development, but to the long-term prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Distance and terrain must be tackled and conquered if medicines, services and people are to be physically connected.
The latest drugs at the cheapest prices, even when in the hands of a knowledgeable health workforce, are of no value if patients can’t be reached reliably. What is needed is investment in physical infrastructure that is practical, cost-effective and sustainable. Ambulances, trucks, motorcycles and other health vehicles must always be in operable conditions.
This is non-negotiable when you are in the business of saving lives.
Yet, current practice is reactive at best. The results? Delayed anti-retroviral (ARV) medicines, pregnant women who can’t reach health facilities during emergencies, and a break down of the health system’s effectiveness.