Dr. Mirta Roses Periago
Director PAHO/WHO
Closing remarks

UNGASS Meeting.
Special Session.
New York, June 2, 2006.

UN General Assembly
High-Level Meeting in order to carry out an exhaustive review of the progress made to revert the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"...We have come a long way, but every day we have new infections, a child is born HIV positive, a child becomes orphan due to AIDS, a person dies of AIDS, a patient falls back due to resistance..."

[These were Dr. Roses' initial words while addressing the closing remarks at a panel discussion organized by the Group of Regional Directors on HIV/AIDS of Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the High-Level Meeting on AIDS at the United Nations]

A great deal is owed to the strong will to walk together, to work collectively and cooperatively among Governments (the price negotiations recently conducted in Buenos Aires), Agencies (like this Regional Directors' Group), among persons living with HIV (like CRN+ and other networks represented here), among National AIDS Programs (like the GCTH) and multiple other networks. The Region has set an example, this is the only Region in the World in which Heads of State established and achieved a Regional target for the 3 by 5 Initiative, expressed in the Declaration of Nuevo Leon. This Region has also set the example for multi country projects to the Global Fund (PANCAP, EC, CAM). Nevertheless, we have to redouble the National and Local efforts, and work on capacity building, fight against stigma and discrimination, improve budget allocations, and develop more intersectorial and public policies with gender and equity focus.

The example of Peru and Argentina are illustrating the level of commitment to ensure impact now and make it sustainable, to curb the epidemic, to protect the non infected, to give extended quality of life to those infected or ill, to reduce the impact on family and community, and to stop stigma and discrimination if we want to achieve a sustainable and inclusive development.

To reach the invisible groups, to make them visible, we recognize the existing barriers, many of which are chronic problems as immunization or Maternal Mortality efforts show after 30 years. The inequities and the multiples barriers are to be addressed.

Universal access is about broadening the availability of services, is about abating the barriers and is about joint action. It is about getting now without delay to every person with information, prevention, care, treatment and support.

The three Regional Directors present here today undertake the challenge, suggested today by this forum, of organizing a high level meeting for this Region, similar to the one that we are attending today. A meeting that can provide the space for the necessary dialogue between Governments, Agencies and Civil Society - including people living with HIV, gays/homosexuals, transgenders, commercial sex workers, young people and all the groups that need to have a voice to support a stronger response to HIV in this Region. Together we can make universal access a reality.