A comprehensive strategy will be announced on World Aids Day, December 1, on how to realise the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal of providing anti-retroviral drugs to three million people by the end of 2005, WHO director general Dr Jong-Wook Lee said on Monday.
”The greatest challenge facing us now is the catastrophe of HIV/Aids,” he said at the opening of the WHO’s regional committee for Africa in Johannesburg.
More than 30-million people in the African region were HIV-positive, Lee said.
”They urgently need treatment.”
The aim of providing anti-retrovirals to three million people by the end of 2005, dubbed ”3 by 5”, was a major objective of the WHO, according to Lee.
”’3 by 5′ will not solve the problem, but it will mark the beginning of a solution, and proof that it is possible,” he said.
Lee expressed concern about the high child mortality rate.
Every year, 10-million children in low- and middle-income countries died before their fifth birthday, he said.
Seven million of these were from five preventable and treatable diseases — pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles and malnutrition.
”Malaria is the number-one killer of children under five years old on the African continent. The disease is overshadowed by daily reports focused on the HIV/Aids plight. However, malaria remains a titanic health problem, and we have to do much more.”
The goal of reducing child mortality worldwide by two-thirds by 2015 could probably be achieved, according to Lee.
”But it will not happen without major rethinking and commitment.”
Surveillance systems had proved to be effective in the eradication of smallpox and, earlier this year, in stopping the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic, he said.
”They are a key to success now, both for the eradication of polio and for the control of new and re-emerging infections.”
Lee pointed out that non-communicable diseases and injuries accounted for a growing share — at present about 60% — of the burden of disease worldwide.
Conditions associated with poverty brought life expectancy in some countries down to 40 years, while in others, wealth and health technology are enabling it to rise above 80, he said.
”Inequality on this scale is not just a danger, but an injustice to human well-being … Everyone equally needs health, and when society fails massively through negligence to meet that need, it is in very serious trouble.”
The focus of the WHO’s work should be in countries, according to Lee.
”We have to give our country offices more people, more realistic budgets, and more authority. At the same time, we also have to ensure sound management and financial practice as well as transparent budgeting.”
The director general said he wanted these changes to come through in the 2006/7 budget.
”I can see very clearly that strengthening our work in countries is by far the most effective way to achieve our goals.” — Sapa