The draft political declaration of the 2006 High-Level Meeting on AIDS
(UNGASS) fails to adequately address the rights of health care workers and
other HIV professionals, believes Helene Gayle, President of the International
AIDS Society (IAS).
Dr. Gayle asserts that while the UNGASS draft document recognizes the need to
strengthen health care systems, support health care workers and improve
training, management, and effective recruitment, it sets no specific targets on
these critical issues.
The individuals who deliver care, prevention, and treatment on the
frontlines of the epidemic are the backbone of the global response. In order to
scale up towards universal access, the UNGASS political declaration needs to
clearly identify how member states and the UN system will strengthen and expand
the health care workforce in the developing world.
Currently, there is a grossly disproportionate gap between health care
systems in the developed and developing world. The recently released World
Health Report indicates that while the Americas have a health care worker ratio
of 24.8 per 1,000 people, in Africa, there are only 2.3 health care workers for
1,000 people, said Dr Gayle.
In addition Dr Gayle notes that HIV professionals must be guaranteed a safe
and secure working environment, free from HIV-related stigma and discrimination,
which continue to hamper efforts to respond to the epidemic.
Health care workers and other HIV professionals must also receive adequate
compensation to reduce migration from low-income countries and the public health
system.
The WHO has made strengthening and expanding the health care system a
central component of its five-year strategic plan, recognizing that weak health
care systems are a major obstacle to scaling up to universal access.
The IAS applauds this commitment and urges member states to strengthen the
language of the political declaration and clearly identify concrete strategies
and targets for achieving this goal, said Dr Gayle.
The IAS is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals,
with more than 7,000 members from 153 countries. The IAS is a non-profit
organization founded in 1988, and acts as an independent voice in the global
response to AIDS on behalf of its members. The IAS is the custodian of the
International AIDS Conferences, the paramount gathering of all disciplines in
HIV/AIDS, held every two years, and organizes the successful IAS Conference on
HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.
For more information contact:
Karen Bennett
Communications Manager
International AIDS Society
Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 710 0832
Email: karen.bennett@iasociety.org
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