A new United Nations report has found that many countries are adopting the new ‘Fast-Track’ program to combat HIV/AIDS. This joint program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was established in the hopes of ending AIDS by 2030. Michel Sidebé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, stated that

“Every five years we have more than doubled the number of people on life-saving treatment. We need to do it just one more time to break the AIDS epidemic and keep it from rebounding.”

By the end of 2014, UNAIDS estimated that 36.9 million people had HIV, and were in need of immediate antiretroviral medicine. This is no small number. UNAIDS is hoping to double the number of people who have access to this medicine by 2020, and progress has already been made. For example, in 2010, 7.5 million people received HIV treatment, whereas only 2.2 million had received treatment in 2005. By 2014, HIV infections had fallen 35 % in comparison to the statistics in 2000, while AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 42% since 2004.

The idea of the Fast-Track program is to accomplish what the UNAIDS calls its 90-90-90 treatment target. This means that 90% of people with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people with HIV are on treatment, and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads. UNAIDS is focusing on particular locations and populations where HIV is prevalent. By working with communities and international groups, UNAIDS is hoping to increase the health services available to people in HIV/AIDS infected areas.

This program already seems to be having positive effects. As of June 2015, 15.8 million people living with HIV had access to the proper therapy, which is up from 13.6 million at the same time in 2014. In addition to this, investments to support efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS in low to middle-income countries, have been increasing slowly. In 2011, a declaration was made to raise between 22 billion and 24 billion US dollars for AIDS by 2015. However, by 2014, $20.2 billion (US) of that money had already been invested, which will go toward the cause.

It is refreshing to see targets being met and communities working together, especially for such a good cause. To date, HIV/AIDS continues to be one of the most serious and deadly infections a person can have. It is through the cooperation and hard work of groups, like UNAIDS, that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Although a cure is perhaps a long way off, the terminal sentence of the disease is no longer the threat it used to be. Disease can be one of the biggest drivers of conflict in any given area, causing panic, premature death, and rejection by group members. Now, at the very least, those who are infected are freer from fear of the stigmas that follow HIV. Yes, infected individual might still have a different and more difficult life than most, but, at least, they can have a life. As well, it is possible that by 2030, UNAIDS will have helped to put a stop to the problem altogether, which will hopefully decrease the fear people have of HIV/AIDS.