Posted on December 1, 2008 - by Frank

Press Release: Kiwis to add Voice on World AIDS Day

THIS World AIDS Day (December 1), TEAR Fund has joined the Alive Campaign, a global initiative to urge the New Zealand Government and those that signed the Millennium Development goals, to put more resources into making antiretroviral (ARV) drugs more available in developing nations.

A shortage of health workers is threatening to derail efforts to combat HIV/AIDS because those affected by the disease in developing nations, can’t access the free drugs, said TEAR Fund Executive Director, Stephen Tollestrup.

“A lack of health workers means there are often no clinics in rural areas from which to receive the drugs.”

TEAR Fund has joined with 15 aid and development agencies in the Integral Alliance to advocate on behalf of HIV sufferers, by motivating the public to sign an online petition. The collected signatures will be sent to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon calling on him to do all he can to mobilise the resources required to achieve universal access to ARV medicines for all by 2010, said Mr Tollestrup.

“The lives of more than 3 million people living with HIV have been transformed thanks to access to ARVs, but it is not enough. An estimated 6.7 million people living with HIV are still unable to access these potentially life-saving medicines.”

Access to quality health services is a major barrier when it comes to obtaining these medicines. “It is invariably the most vulnerable in society, children and old people, who are impacted the most when there isn’t a clinic, nurse or doctor nearby to treat those who are living with HIV. Even when there is a local clinic, people living with HIV often don’t know that ARVs exist and are free.”

Mr Tollestrup said: “In Sub-Saharan Africa for example, home to over 11 per cent of the world’s population, lives nearly two-thirds of those with HIV worldwide, but the region only has 3 per cent of the world’s health workers.”

ARV medications help stop the virus from replicating and they have changed the way TEAR Fund’s project partners respond to the disease in countries such as Mozambique, he said.

“Previously our partners in the Gondola District, Mozambique responded to HIV by helping people to die with dignity. Now they help them to live.

“We can make a difference by asking our governments to deliver the resources required to provide comprehensive health services. Otherwise it simply won’t be possible to achieve the goal of universal access to treatment, care and support for those living with HIV by 2010.”

To sign the petition or to view films about the difference ARVS have made in lives, you can link from TEAR Fund’s home page www.tearfund.org.nz or go directly to http://integralalliance.co.uk/hiv/