World Leaders Not ‘Moving Fast Enough’ in Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Annan Says
In a report card to the U.N. General Assembly on the progress of commitments made during the Millenium Summit in September 2000, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday said world leaders are "not moving fast enough" in the fight against HIV/AIDS to meet targets set for 2015, the Associated Press reports. A declaration adopted by 189 countries during the summit pledged that by 2015, the spread of HIV/AIDS "should be halted and reversed." Annan said that while a few countries, including Uganda and Thailand, have "limit[ed] or revers[ed]" the spread of the disease, the "global picture remains daunting." He said, "The record of the international community in the first two years of implementing the Millennium Declaration is, at best, mixed. In the remaining 13 years, progress must be made on a broader front. Otherwise, the ringing words of the declaration will serve only as grim reminders of human needs neglected and promises unmet." Annan added that the $3 billion being spent to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide this year is "far short" of the estimated $10 billion needed annually by 2005. Still, Annan said there still is a chance to meet the goals set for 2015. "They will only be reached if the right national and international economic conditions are achieved, and the necessary financial resources mobilized," Annan said (Lederer, Associated Press, 8/27).
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