By Kofi Annan
In the 25 years since the first case was reported, AIDS has
changed the world. It has killed 25 million people and infected 40
million more. It has become the world's leading cause of death
among both women and men aged 15 to 59. It has inflicted the single
greatest reversal in the history of human development. In other
words, it has become the greatest challenge of our generation.
For far too long, the world was in denial. But in the past 10
years, attitudes have changed. The world has started to take the
fight against AIDS as seriously as it deserves.
Financial resources are being committed as never before, people
have access to antiretroviral treatment as never before, and
several countries are managing to fight the spread as never before.
Now, as the number of infections continues unabated, we need to
mobilize political will as never before.
The creation of UNAIDS a decade ago, bringing together the
strengths and resources of many different parts of the United
Nations family, was a milestone in transforming the way the world
responds to AIDS. And five years ago, all UN member states reached
a new milestone by adopting the Declaration of Commitment
containing a number of specific, far-reaching and time-bound
targets for fighting the epidemic.
That same year, as I made HIV/AIDS a personal priority in my
work as secretary-general, I called for the creation of a "war
chest" of an additional US$7 billion-10 billion a year. Today I am
deeply proud to be Patron of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and
Malaria, which has channeled almost US$3 billion to programs across
the globe.
Recently, we have seen significant additional funding from
bilateral donors, national treasuries, civil society and other
sources. Annual investments in the response to AIDS in low- and
middle-income countries now stand at more than US$8 billion.
Of course, much more is needed; by 2010, total needs for a
comprehensive AIDS response will exceed US$20 billion a year. But
we have at least made a start on getting the resources and
strategies in place.
Because the response has started to gain real momentum, the
stakes are higher now than ever before. We cannot risk letting the
advances that have been achieved unravel; we must not jeopardize
the heroic efforts of so many.
The challenge now is to deliver on all the promises that have
been made including the Millennium Development Goal, agreed by all
the world's governments, of halting and beginning to reverse the
spread of HIV by 2015. Leaders at every level must recognize that
halting the spread of AIDS is also a prerequisite for reaching most
of the other goals, which together form the international
community's agreed blueprint for building a better world in the
21st century.
Leaders must hold themselves accountable and be held accountable
by all of us.
Accountability the theme of this World AIDS Day requires every
president and prime minister, every parliamentarian and politician,
to decide and declare that "AIDS stops with me." It requires them
to strengthen protection for all vulnerable groups whether people
living with HIV, young people, sex workers, injecting drug users,
or men who have sex with men.
It requires them to work hand in hand with civil society groups,
who are so crucial to the struggle. It requires them to work for
real, positive change that will give more power and confidence to
women and girls, and transform relations between women and men on
all levels of society.
But accountability applies not only to those who hold positions
of power; it also applies to all of us.
It requires business leaders to work for HIV prevention in the
workplace and in the wider community, and to care for affected
workers and their families. It requires health workers, community
leaders and faith-based groups to listen and care, without passing
judgement. It requires fathers, husbands, sons and brothers to
support and affirm the rights of women. It requires teachers to
nurture the dreams and aspirations of girls.
It requires men to help ensure that other men assume their
responsibility and understand that real manhood means protecting
others from risk. And it requires every one of us to help bring
AIDS out of the shadows, and spread the message that silence is
death.
I will soon be stepping down as secretary-general of the United
Nations. But as long as I have strength, I will keep spreading that
message. That is why World AIDS Day will always be special to me.
On this World AIDS Day, let us vow to keep the promise not only
this day, or this year, or next year, but every day until the
epidemic is conquered.
(China Daily December 1, 2006)
