Sign-on letter to WHO to Keep 3 X 5 Alive
| The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition |
Director General
World Health Organization (WHO)
20, Avenue Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Dear Dr. Lee:
We are over one hundred people living with HIV/AIDS and their advocates from over 50 countries around the world. We represent hundreds more who have not been able to sign this letter personally.
We would like to take this occasion to thank you for your truly visionary leadership in launching WHO's 3x5 campaign in 2003. Though we have all fallen short of seeing that three million people received antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2005, the 3x5 campaign was absolutely vital in speeding the pace of the expansion of AIDS treatment to the millions who need it around the world.
We are gravely concerned that the new Universal Access initiative, while enshrining a noble sentiment to ensure that all those who need AIDS care, treatment and prevention services receive it by 2010, lacks the specificity of WHO¹s 3x5 campaign and is not accompanied by any clear and concrete operational goals.
At the World Health Assembly in May, we urge you to publicly reaffirm your personal commitment to the spirit of the 3x5 initiative and WHO's commitment to work with countries to ensure that 3 million people are on antiretroviral treatment as soon possible and to set out clear, ambitious, new targets for the maximum achievable number of people WHO believes can be on treatment by 2008 and by 2010.
Despite the difficulties associated with the 3x5 campaign and the challenges it presented, it is now part of your legacy. It is an effort you should wholeheartedly take pride in. While so many leaders are willing to simply talk about their commitment to people living with HIV/AIDS, you are one of the few leaders who actually put the time, energy and resources of your institution behind an effort to save millions of lives despite the naysayers and the critics who tried to dissuade you from your task.
Our work is not done. Thousands of people died needlessly today because they still do not have access to AIDS treatment and care. Millions more will die over the coming years if WHO and its member states do not build on and extend the 3x5 initiative beginning now in 2006. There is not a moment to lose. We need to hear your voice loudly and clearly over the voices of others trying to divert our efforts or to move us entirely away from the historic premise that the 3x5 initiative represents: none of our lives is expendable, no one deserves to die, simply because they can¹t afford the drugs and the care they need to keep them alive.
Sincerely,
|
Dario Abarca Solomon Adderley Lilian Adhiambo AIDS Care China Guangxi Habib Ahmed Habiba Akter Tina Alexander Juanita Altenberg Anjan Amatya Azita Amirieh Fraçoise A.Akpédjé Dravie-Anakpan & Arsène K. Mensah Pablo Anamaria Jaime Argueta. Khalida Bajwa Olga Beliaeva Wendi Losha Bernadette Murdo Bijl Olga Gur'evna Blinova Natalia Bobrova Richard Brodsky Robert Carr Edgar Carrasco Jorge Carreño Estela Carrizo Joan Chamungu Elango Ram Chander & Jacob John Enrique Chavez Frika Chia Susan Chong Elena Chuprina Civilian Association for AIDS Prevention and Treatment Promotion Michaela Clayton Chris Collins Simon Collins & Polly Clayden Colorful Cloud Positive Women's Group Delme Cupido Kieran Daly & Mary Ann Torres Colleen Daniels Marcus Day Lorena Di Giano Vitaly Djuma Olive Edwards Isidora Bekmuhamedovna Erasilova Abigail Erikson & Bobby Ramakant Simão Cacumba Morais Faria Stuart Flavell Jennifer Flynn Alain Foguito Fogue Joshua T. Formentera Loon Gangte GIPA Alliance Shibu Giri Case Gordon Mauro Guarinieri Evgeny Guz & Anna Solomatova Marina Halidova Mark Harrington Aruna J. Hewapathirane Amani Hitimana Julian V. Hows Beri Hull Julio Cesar Aguilera Hurtado Husa County Township PLWHA Group Lindiwe Chaza Jangira Umesh Kakarania James Kamau Bertrand Kampoer James Clovis Kayo Jacob Kayombo Sandris Klavins Colette Koala Sergei Kolesin Ludmila Kononenko Sathia Krishnamoorthy Evgeny Kriveosheev Viacheslav Krivoruchko Tapiwanashe Kujinga, Tendayi Kureya, Sostain Moyo & Believe Dhliwayo Aroldo E. Pinedo-Lanao Natasha Leonchuk Anna Liubinskaya and Tatsiana Seamionava |
Gerald Lodwick Edward Low Sun Luqing Mokhothu Makhalanyane Maksim Malyshev Ambroise Mamona Manipur Network of Positive People (MNP+) Agne Marudinaite Rachel Minkoue Aleksandrs Molokovskis Svetlana Moroz & Aleksey Moroz Sipho Mthathi
Treatment Action Campaign Cesar Mufanequico Farai Mugweni Lydia Mungherera Robert Munk Lillian K. Mworeko Jefter M. Mxotshwa Heidi Nass Maria Ndlovu Elena Nechosina Gina Coplon-Newfield Kim Nichols Alessandra Nilo Liao Ning Tamir Norgim Felix Ntungumburanye Raoul Costa Nzenga Martin Opondo Obwar Dasha Ocheret and Mikhail Petrov Gustavo Adolfo Campillo Orozco Nenet L. Ortega Sergei Panasiuk and Olga Muravian Rama.Pandian Sunil Babu Pant Manoj Pardesi Federico Parodi Ricky Pascoe Noel Pascual Kousalya Periasamy Svetlana Petrosian Jia Ping PLWHA Centre Ismail Qaisar Gracia Violeta Ross Quiroga Oswaldo Rada John M. Rock Ruili Bamboo Group Asia Russell Salomon Ruzindana Ousmane Sane A.Sankar Zhao Sanmin Shanxi Caring Centre Shanxi Nibaqiang PLWHA Support Group Aditi Sharma Shona Shonning Irina Skriabina & Gintare Varenka Richard Stern Lucia Maria Stirbu Raminta Stuikyte Paisan Suwannawong & Karyn Kaplan Martha Tholanah Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) Zimbabwe Joe Thomas Sherboto Tokombaev Elena Traicu Alejandra Trossero Charles Tshilumba Joost van der Meer Wim Vandevelde Maria Jose Vazquez Konstantin Verhov Francisco Vidal Leonid Vlassenko Aleksei Vlasov & Mikhail Kolesnikov Oleg Voinorenko & Sergei Shapovalov Aleksandr Volgin, Aleksandr Rumiantsev, Masha Ovseniakova & Evgeny Shookov Malanda Wilondja Zonibel Woods Cheng Xiangyang Zhou Yunjun & Shen Jun Lucie Zambou Vladimir Zhovtyak |
Activism/Policy IndexTAG index