WHO and UNAIDS launched an advocacy document entitled, “Accelerating HIV treatment in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean and UNAIDS Middle East and North Africa regions” during a side event to the 60th Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean; held in Muscat, Oman from 27 to 30 October 2013. Accelerating treatment calls upon leaders to commit to urgent action to increase access to HIV testing and counselling and to HIV treatment in the region.
The ministers of health and heads of country delegates who attended the event expressed concern at the alarming situation in the Region, where 85% of people who need life-saving antiretroviral therapy for HIV do not receive it, and where new HIV infections and AIDS deaths are on the rise while they are declining globally. In a resolution, the Regional Committee requests the WHO Regional Director to support Member States of the Region in developing and implementing strategies and service-delivery approaches for rapid scale-up of HIV treatment, as recommended by WHO and UNAIDS in the advocacy document.
Related links
Sixtieth Session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterraenan
Accelerating HIV treatment in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean and UNAIDS Middle East and North Africa regions [pdf 1.28Mb] | French | Arabic