New Global Plan launched to save the lives of mothers and children from AIDS-related deaths

Yesterday, world leaders met at the UN to unveil a Global Plan designed to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015 and to keep their mothers alive. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, former US President Bill Clinton, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé and United States Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby launched the Plan along with UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassadors Annie Lennox and Naomi Watts. The plan brings together 30 countries and 50 civil society, private sector, networks of people living with HIV and international organizations in a consolidated effort to realize a world with zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination against people living with HIV, and zero AIDS-related deaths. While the plan will focus on all low and middle income countries, it will particularly focus on 22 with the highest prevalence of HIV-positive pregnant women. 

“We are here to launch ‘Countdown to Zero,’ the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keep their mothers alive,” said Ki-moon. “This is no fantasy. Developed countries already do this. But we cannot rest until this is true for our whole world… As the developed world shows, there is every reason to believe that we can save millions of lives across the developing world.” Sidibé echoed this enthusiasm, telling the room, “We believe that by 2015 children everywhere can be born free of HIV and that their mothers can remain healthy.”

Success stories were highlighted from around the world.  Jonathan shared some of the progress which recently emerged from Nigeria, including efforts to end stigma and the recently passed health bill which will free up additional resources to scale up HIV treatment centers at the local level, with an emphasis on reaching the poor and vulnerable. Clinton looked to Cambodia, where in 2007 just 10% of HIV positive mothers received treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Less than four years later, over 60% of mothers are receiving this treatment, largely due to service linkages and the scaling-up of health systems. Clinton called for mothers to have access to the drugs they need for effective PMTCT, and for an increase in funding for evidence-based interventions.

In response to the Plan’s call to action, the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced an additional US$ 75 million for PMTCT efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged US$ 40 million, Chevron committed to US$ 20 million and Johnson & Johnson pledged US$ 15 million. These investments will be crucial in transforming the Plan’s goals into reality.  
“Helping pregnant women to protect their babies is really important,” said HIV-positive mother Babalwa Mbono. “Like all mothers, I would do anything to give my child a healthy start in life—and this prevention should be available to women everywhere.”

Read the UNSG’s remarks here.
For more information, click here.