The celebration of World AIDS Day today brings with it news of triumph against a deadly disease which, up to now, has had no known cure. More people have gained awareness on HIV, and this is due to the years of advocacy and information campaign against the spread of the disease worldwide.
Such awareness has led to more people seeking help to delay the deteriorating effects of having the HIV virus. More people are also receiving lifesaving treatment for AIDS which is more than the number of people who become newly infected with HIV, says the new ONE AIDS report released in honor of World AIDS Day today.
"Despite the good news, we should not take a victory lap yet," said Erin Hohlfelder, ONE's Director of Global Health Policy and author of the report. "We've passed the tipping point in the AIDS fight at the global level, but not all countries are there yet, and the gains made can easily stall or unravel."
The One Campaign, which was founded by U2 front man Bono, noted the fight against AIDS is still hampered by lack of funding.
The report also warned that the progress to date could easily unravel in places like Africa, where many countries have fragile and overstretched healthcare systems. And another worry the report found: New AIDS patients are increasingly from marginalized communities such as drug users and sex workers.
The report said the progress can continue if funding comes from new sources, countries build more resilient healthcare systems and the medical community does a better job addressing the crisis.
Meanwhile in New York City, the number of new HIV diagnoses has reached an all-time low, according to the city's Department of Health. The city recorded 2,832 HIV diagnoses in 2013, which was 40 percent drop since 2003.
Health Commissioner Mary Bassett marked the data release with a speech at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. She and she said she was "proud to celebrate" the new low.
City officials said that while blacks and Hispanics make up half of the city's population, they make up three-quarters of the new HIV cases. Bassett said that black and Hispanic men who have sex with other men remain the most at-risk population.
Although the city has come a long way, Bassett said there's still work to do and the city is launching NY Knows, the city's plan to make it easier to get tested through AIDS organizations all over the city. Bassett says there will be a highly visible campaign called #BeHIVSure.
"Each of us should be HIV sure regardless of our status, our sexual orientation, our risk," Bassett said, adding that the end goal is zero new AIDS cases in New York by 2020.
