By 2015, no more mothers will pass AIDS on to their children through breastfeeding. There will be an AIDS-free generation, and all 34 million patients who need treatment will get the medical attention they so need. An ambitious goal, to be sure, but United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has committed herself to the challenge of achieving it.
In a recent speech, Clinton vowed to take advantage of today’s scientific breakthroughs to combat AIDS and hopefully put a stop to its spread in the future. With circumcision and multidrug cocktails for pregnant women having significant success in clinical trials in the last two years, the prospect of achieving an AIDS-free world does not seem to be all that impossible.
While AIDS support groups are right behind Clinton on her proclamation, there is still the matter of how much the program will cost. According to The New York Times, “it has taken eight years and tens of billions of dollars” just to help around seven million people living with AIDS. And with the rest of the world spending $16 billion on AIDS annually, just where will Clinton source the money from?
While there is no clear budget stated for the program, nor has there been mention of where the funds will come from, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, who heads the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that AIDS treatment might be cheaper than one would think. Drug prices are apparently not as high as they used to be, and with more local health workers facilitating the program than doctors, the cost of Clinton’s AIDS-free world will be significantly lower. One proof of this is the drop in the cost of keeping one African treated for AIDS. From $1,100 seven years ago, the cost has now gone down to just $335.
Clinton also spoke about allocating $60 million (the only time she has ever specified an amount) for more trials on the immediate treatment of patients. Studies have shown that immediate treatment lowers infection rates on couples with only one infected partner as well as on drug addicts.
With 2015 only four years away, Clinton has a lot on her plate. For her to achieve her goal, she and the rest of the administration need to drum up a tremendous amount of support. In the next few months, more details about her plans will be unveiled. This speech is only the beginning.
(Photo by Roger H. Goun via Wikimedia Commons)
