May 14, 2003 SEATTLE (AP) -- Worldwide spending to prevent new infections by the AIDS virus should be increased by $3.8 billion by 2005, an advocacy group recommended Tuesday.
The report by the Global HIV Prevention Working Group said fewer than one in five people at risk of being infected by HIV worldwide has access to prevention programs.
"A dramatic scaling-up of HIV prevention, combined with increased access to treatment for the millions already infected, can control and ultimately reverse AIDS," said Dr. Helene Gayle, the group's co-chair and director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's global HIV/AIDS program.
The Working Group is made up of about 40 leaders in public health, clinical care and other specialties, and people affected by HIV or AIDS.
It was convened last year by the Seattle-based Gates Foundation and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif., to provide recommendations on preventing AIDS.
The group found that $1.9 billion was spent last year on HIV. But it said the U.N. AIDS agency has estimated that $5.7 billion will be needed by 2005, and $6.6 billion by 2007.
Last year, the disease killed 3.1 million people worldwide and there were 5 million new infections.
Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, called on wealthy governments to do more. "The resource needs are acute, but to date too many donor governments have not contributed their share," Altman said.
The Working Group estimated that wealthy governments gave $780 million while the world's poorer nations donated $782 million.
The report favored programs that promote condom use, prevent mother-to-child transmission, and get people to change their sexual behavior.
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
