GenQ - For the not so straight individual

A report released by Unicef, the World Health Organization, and UNAids has revealed that although more people are receiving courses of drugs to treat HIV than ever before, millions of people are still missing out.

2,015,000 people diagnosed with HIV received medication for treatment to control the progression of HIV last year; an increase of 54 percent from 2005.

On the contrary, there are still 5 million residents of middle and lower earning regions that are not receiving the necessary antiretroviral treatments.

The report stated that “substantial, ongoing progress� is currently being made to treat those diagnosed with HIV, but initial goals of providing access to medication and programmes on a worldwide level by the end of 2010 set by the United Nations may be unachievable.

Margaret Chan from the World Health Organization said “We need ambitious national programmes, much greater global mobilization and increased accountability if we are going to succeed.�

One concern was the low level of treatments being issued to pregnant women; the top priority listed in the report is to introduce further measures to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.