Climate Change to Stall Progress on AIDS Reduction

Deaths related to AIDS have fallen by 600,000 in the last six years according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The report, released on World Aids Day, confirmed that 2.5 million people were infected globally with the HIV virus in 2011 – compared to the 3.2 million people a mere decade ago.

The news comes tempered with warnings that climate change will dramatically slow down the fight against AIDS though.

Progress, on the decline of people infected by AIDS, has been attributed to a decision from the UN General Assembly to have 15 million HIV infected persons on antiretroviral drugs by 2015. Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, director of the WHO’s HIV department, believes that the target is within reach: “The 2015 target looks more achievable now than ever before.”

“Many countries are facing economic difficulties, yet most are managing to continue expansion of access to antiretroviral medicines,” said Dr Hirnschall.

The WHO identifies three main areas of concern going forward: children’s access to the drugs, access in rural areas and the existing stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. At present, children are the largest demographic unable to access HIV medication; with medication only reaching 28 percent of those infected. Geographic factors have also been blamed as it makes it more difficult to deliver effective services. The WHO have begun encouraging health workers to move to rural areas in attempts to provide more robust universal health coverage.

“The challenge now is to ensure that global progress is mirrored at all levels and in all places so that people, whoever they are and wherever they live, can obtain antiretroviral therapy when they need it,” said Dr Hirnschall.

Colin Butler, an associate professor at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, co-authored a UNAIDS paper in 2008 on the links between climate change and HIV.

“Populations with high rates of HIV are the most vulnerable to a worsening or prolongation of the epidemic due to climate change.”

“This places the people of sub-Saharan Africa at the greatest risk of the ‘HIV and Climate Change Complex.’ Though outside Africa, populations in north-east India and New Guinea may also be significantly impacted.”

In Doha, Qatar, this years host for the UN climate change negotiations, health concerns are not an immediate issue. A declaration was submitted yesterday on the linkages between climate change and health  by the Global Climate and Health Alliance though.

By Gabrielle Donohue, photo by Laura Owsianka.