VOA常速英语:如果资金到位 艾滋病疫情或能被控制

It took 3 decades from the appearance of the first drug for slowing the onset of AIDs to today’s drug cocktails that save many of the infected patients from what was inevitable death.

The conference on IAS (International AIDS Society) held this week in Paris reflected optimism about new treatments and concern about proposed cuts in funding especially by the US Government.

I want to remind you that 7 billion dollars for year is still missing in the fight against AIDS in the world.This is the money we need to find, and thanks to our mobilization, we could assign it to the fight against AIDS.

In spite of the lasted advances, the virus that causes AIDS remains a formidable enemy due to its uNPRecedented ability to develop resistant the drugs.New medicines keep it under control but they are neither available nor affordable for many.

Experts also suspect a large number of unreported cases.

We know we’re treating 19.5 million people but there’s another 17 odd million who need treatment today.And we haven’t found those people, many of them are in regions of the world such as West Africa,Central Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia that we haven’t, just haven’t got to, so that’s very concerning.

However, the conference heard many optimistic notes.

We are reaching the people in need.We are saving lives because it’s not only about proving that we can put people under treatment but also that we need to completely change the screening.

Among the highlights is the recent news about the 10-year-old South African child born with HIV.After only a year of treatment, the child has been virus-free for more than 8 years.

Citing other similar cases as well as the promising vaccines being developed,experts say the scales may finally be tipped against the disease that so far has killed about 35 million people.

George Putic, VOA News, Washington.