21 November 2005

Figures released today reveal over three million AIDS deaths this year, 570,000 of which are children. Five million people have been newly infected, bringing the total number of people infected worldwide to 40.3 million – the highest ever level.

"The new figures released today paint a devastating picture of Aids in Africa and show that we're on the brink of a similar explosion in Asia. Now more than ever politicians need to keep their promises on treatment if we are to turn the situation around.  With a rapid scale up of treatment we could save lives in the coming year and ensure that 2005 goes down in history as the year the world finally got to grips with the gravity of the Aids emergency" says SAC’s Campaigns Manager Kirsty McNeill

Simon Wright, ActionAid UK's HIV Campaign Team Leader ‘greets’ the UNAIDS figures with concern and anticipation. "These figures, coming at the end of 2005, must be the spur for rich countries to turn their promises into action. We welcomed the G8 commitment on HIV/Aids, especially its ambitious plan for full access to life-saving treatments by 2010. The question is: are they serious about making it happen?"

Despite the apparent political will that followed the G8 summit, the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria - which provides an important tranche of global Aids funding - remained seriously underfunded after the UK hosted a replenishment conference in September.

Christian Aid’s Senior HIV Policy Adviser Anton Kerr said:  "Millions of people are relying on the promises made by the most powerful and rich countries in the world. However, the scandal of their failure to fully fund the Global Fund shows that they are not acting quickly enough to save the lives they have committed to saving. Empty promises mean death sentences."

As World Aids Day approaches on December 1st, Stop Aids campaigners are calling on governments to keep the promises by:

• dramatically scaling up funding
• making life saving drugs accessible and affordable to everyone, including the millions of infected children world wide
• investing in health services in order to control and reverse the rate of infection.

These actions will be especially vital in protecting and caring for children affected by the pandemic.

David Bull, UNICEF UK Chief Executive said:  "HIV/Aids is redefining the very meaning of childhood for millions, depriving children of many of their human rights like care, protection, healthcare and education. Millions more remain in the path of the pandemic. The world must act now, urgently and decisively to ensure that the next generation of children is an AIDS free one."