Careful, targeted funding was the message this week from leading public and private funders of the international campaign against HIV/AIDS.
"We can focus our prevention efforts. We can look at where there is the most impact," said Bill Gates, whose Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation not only devotes billions to the effort but also influences other funding sources as well.
New strategies unveiled by the UN and the US government also emphasized the importance of efficiency, particularly in light of flat or shrinking budgets.
"With a rising treatment bill, countries in economic crisis and increasing prevention needs, the world is demanding change in the AIDS response," said Paul de Lay, UNAIDS' deputy director.
UNAIDS this week set out a strategy dubbed "Treatment 2.0." It calls for simplified testing and treatment protocols that are projected to cut both new HIV infections and AIDS mortality.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategy, released this week by President Barack Obama, also recognizes the need to maximize the impact of tight resources. The strategy asks state and federal agencies to help cut new HIV infections by 25 percent, get more patients treated quickly, and expand public awareness of the epidemic.
"We can't expect this to be solved by a huge infusion of new resources," warned US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
07/15/10
GLOBAL: New Global AIDS Focus: Careful Budgets?
Source: Reuters(07.13.10):: Maggie Fox; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention