Climate change affects global action against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 18 Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria, warned that climate change and armed conflict are affecting global efforts to fight these three dangerous infectious diseases.This is the headquarters building of the United Nations Programme on AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 13

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 18 Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria, warned that climate change and armed conflict are affecting global efforts to fight these three dangerous infectious diseases.

This is the headquarters building of the United Nations Programme on AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 13. Photographed by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lian Yi

According to the 2023 achievement report released by the foundation on the 18th, the international project to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has basically resumed operation after the COVID-19. However, Sands pointed out in a synchronized statement that the challenges posed by climate change and conflict are increasing, and without "extraordinary measures", the global goal of eliminating these three diseases by 2030 may not be achieved.

The statement said that the global action against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria after the outbreak is more challenging because several crises are interrelated and overlapping, including climate change.

This photo taken on December 8, 2018 shows that at the Cadidi Village Health Center in Blantyre City, southern Malawi, the sixth batch of Chinese medical team doctors tested local residents for malaria during a free clinic activity. Xinhua Social Development (photographed by Fan Jiangbo)

For example, malaria transmission is now occurring in higher altitude areas of Africa, where previously low temperatures made it unsuitable for mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite to survive. In many parts of the world, extreme weather events such as floods have led to the destruction of medical institutions, displacement of people, and a surge in patients infected with the aforementioned diseases. At the same time, patients receiving treatment are forced to interrupt treatment. In countries and regions such as Sudan and Afghanistan, it is very difficult to reach communities in urgent need of assistance due to the unstable situation.

Sands said that the prevention and control action has made some positive progress. In 2022, 6.7 million tuberculosis patients will receive treatment in the countries and regions invested by the Foundation, 1.4 million more than the previous year, and the number of treatment will reach a record. The Foundation also helped 24.5 million people infected with AIDS virus receive antiretroviral treatment and distributed 220 million mosquito nets. (Xu Liyu)

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