Treatment urgently needed for millions of people living with HIV/AIDS
17 September 2003 - Dr LEE Jong-wook, new Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), will announce a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to the millions of people in developing countries who urgently need it.
ARV treatment has changed the fate of hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV in the industrialized world. It is now time to provide these life-saving medicines to the millions of people in the developing world who need them, and turn the possibility of universal HIV/AIDS treatment into a reality.
Of the estimated six million people in developing countries in immediate need of ARV treatment, just five in every one hundred currently have access to the medicines that keep them alive. WHO will work to ensure that three million people living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries have access to ARV medicines by the end of 2005.
WHAT:
Press conference on WHO’s new AIDS global treatment initiative
WHO:
Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General, WHO
Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director, UNAIDS
Dr Richard Feacham, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
WHEN:
12:15-13:00; Monday, 22 September 2003 at the General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS;
WHERE:
Room 226 (official UN press room)
United Nations Headquarters
New York
The room is equipped for direct broadcasting to all major news and photo agencies. Outside news agencies can request a hook-up through the International Broadcast Center; Tel (+ 1) 212 963 7656.
MATERIALS:
Press kits and television B-roll will be available for journalists.
NB: Non-accredited media must submit request for UN access on letterhead addressed to the UN Accreditation Office; Fax (212) 963 4642. Call (212) 963 5934 or (212) 963 7164 to verify receipt of fax. Once the request is verified, a pass must be obtained at 801 United Nations Plaza (45th & 1st), UNITAR building, Pass & Identification Unit (two forms of photo ID required).
Journalists in Geneva are invited to attend an embargoed media briefing:
WHAT:
Media briefing on WHO’s new AIDS global treatment initiative
WHO:
Dr Charlie Gilks, Medical Officer, WHO’s HIV department. Dr Gilks is heading up WHO’s new “Three-by-five” initiative on HIV treatment
WHEN:
12:15 Geneva time (all information to be embargoed until 18:30 Geneva time) WHERE:
Salle III, Palais des Nations,
Geneva
For more information, please contact Iain Simpson, Communications Officer, Director-General’s Office, WHO, Geneva; Tel (+41 22) 791 3215; Mobile (+41) 79 475 5534; Fax: (+41 22) 791 4858; Email: simpsoni@who.int, or Christine McNab, Communications Officer, Director-General’s Office, WHO, Geneva; Tel: (+41 22) 791 4688; Mobile (+41 ) 79 254 6815; or Rebecca Harding, Communications Officer, Director-General’s Office, WHO, Geneva; Tel: (+41 22) 791 3229; Mobile (+41) 79 509 0651; Fax (+41 22) 791 4858); Email: hardingr@who.int
Richard Leclair, Senior External Relations Officer, WHO Office, New York, (+1) 212 963 6003; email: leclair@un.org; or Celinda Verano, Information Officer, WHO Office, New York, Tel: (+1) 212 963 6000; email: verano@un.org.