Millions of lives at risk

I’ve posted quite a bit already about the impact of the current financial crisis on low income countries, developing economies, and overall health and development efforts.  I just came across a Reuters article by Bappa Majumdar that describes in stark terms the threat to people living with HIV/AIDS around the world as rich countries react to shrinking economies and economic upheaval.

Millions of people suffering from HIV/AIDS will die if major donors battling a global financial crisis cut funding even for six months, the head of the United Nations’ AIDS agency said on Wednesday.

In such a scenario, the poorest countries in Africa and Asia would bear the brunt, with access to healthcare greatly reduced, Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS told Reuters in an interview. [...]

[Piot also noted:] “If we interrupt these activities we will have to pay later as more people will become infected.”

~ by h.e.g. on November 20, 2008.