The ”scandal” of poverty and Aids must be resolved by the international community, British Finance Minister Gordon Brown wrote in the Independent on Friday.
Writing in a special edition of the newspaper, dedicated to World Aids Day, Chancellor of the Exchequer Brown said that while the ”potential and promise of developing countries like those of the African continent is enormous … there are many challenges ahead, none more so than the impact of Aids”.
Brown, the favourite to succeed Prime Minister Tony Blair when he steps down by September, said that the ”scandal of poverty and Aids is something the whole global community needs to work to resolve”.
He outlined four main things that are necessary for a country to fight the spread of the deadly disease: a strong health service, improved access to affordable treatment, strong education programmes and reduced stigma surrounding the disease.
The chancellor called for long-term, predictable and stable funding for both education and healthcare, and stronger long-term research into an Aids vaccine.
He also noted: ”People, especially women, living with HIV continue to be rejected by their families and communities and denied the right to healthcare, work, education and freedom of movement.”
An estimated 39,5-million people, many unaware of their status, are now living with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, according to the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/Aids.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the hardest-hit region, with 24,7-million people affected, followed by South and South-East Asia, with 7,8-million; Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with 1,7-million; Latin America, with 1,7-million; and North America, with 1,4-million. — Sapa-AFP