by Virginia Sowers, ChildFund Community Manager There’s good
news in the fight against HIV/AIDS – treatment and prevention
are working. People living with HIV are living longer and AIDS-
related deaths are declining with access to antiretroviral
therapy. A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that 2011 was a game-changer for AIDS
response with “unprecedented progress in science, political
leadership and results.” The report also shows that new HIV
infections and AIDS-related deaths have fallen to the lowest
levels since the peak of the epidemic. New HIV infections were
reduced by 21percent since 1997, and deaths from AIDS-related
illnesses decreased by 21 percent since 2005. In sum, treatment
has averted 2.5 million deaths since 1995. “Even in a very
difficult financial crisis, countries are delivering results in
the AIDS response,” says Michel Sidibé, executive director of
UNAIDS. “We have seen a massive scale up in access to HIV
treatment which has had a dramatic effect