發現艾滋30年後道路仍漫長

A new U.N. report says that despite significant gains in the prevention and treatment of HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - 7,000 people are still infected each day, 1,000 of whom are children. Although that number is high, it reflects a nearly 25 percent decline in new infections worldwide in the past decade.

聯合國所做的一份新報告說，儘管預防艾滋病毒這項工作有很大進展，但這種病毒每天仍造成7000人感染，其中1000人是兒童。儘管這個數字如此之高，但比十年前全球範圍初次感染的人數已經減少了25%。

The study, which marks 30 years since the global AIDS epidemic began, touts the progress made in battling the virus, but notes that there is still a long way to go to reach the goal of “triple zero” - that is zero new infections, zero discrimination against those with the virus, and zero AIDS-related deaths.

這項研究正逢艾滋病最初爆發至今30年的時候，該研究展示了人類和這種病毒進行鬥爭所取得的進步，但也指出，若要實現三零目標仍然有很長的路要走。三個零即零感染、對攜帶HIV病毒者的零歧視、與艾滋病相關的的零死亡。

UNAIDS estimates that approximately half the 34 million people living with HIV do not know they are infected. UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé says this is a major problem, because early treatment can lead to a longer life and prevent transmission to others.

聯合國艾滋病規劃署估計3400萬攜帶艾滋病毒的人中有大約一半人並不知道自己感染了艾滋病毒。聯合國該規劃署執行主任米歇爾.西迪貝說，這個問題非常突出，因爲早期治療可以延長感染者壽命，同時也可以避免傳染給他人。

“With access to treatment, AIDS have moved from what was effectively a death sentence to a chronic disease," said Sidibé.

她說：“由於得到治療，艾滋病對感染者來說，已經不再是宣判死刑了。”

For those who do know their status, access to treatment is growing. The report notes that some 6.6 million people in low- and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral treatment at the end of last year - nearly 22 times the number in 2001.

對了解自己感染了艾滋病的人們來說，就醫的人數越來越多了。這份報告指出，大約660萬中低水平收入國家的感染者在去年年底前接受了抗逆轉錄病毒治療。這個數字比2001年增加了22倍。

Sidibé underscored the importance of early treatment, citing the results of a recent study at the U.S.-based National Institutes of Health.

西迪貝強調了早期治療的重要性，並引用了美國國立衛生研究院最近所做的一項研究成果。

“Two weeks ago the discovery from NIH showing clearly that when you are putting people on treatment early [it] is a game changer. It is first showing that this wrong dichotomy which was existing between treatment versus prevention is not anymore useful," he said. "Because you can reduce by 96 percent - I said 96 percent - the number of new infection[s] if you are able to treat people early. And you can reduce also the side effects, which is very important because we know that the death rate is mainly higher when people are not put early on treatment.”

她說：“國立衛生研究院這項發現在兩週前清楚地顯示，早期治療可以獲得根本性的改變。它頭一次顯示了在治療與防範之間的錯誤二分法已經沒有什麼用處了。因爲新感染的人數可以被降低96%，我這麼說，是指如果你能在早期治療新的感染者。治療中的副作用也可以減輕。這很重要，因爲我們知道死亡率高主要是由於感染者沒有得到初期治療。”

The report notes that while infection rates are down, treatment is expanding and education and awareness are growing, these gains could be reversible without sufficient funding and political commitment.

這份報告指出，艾滋病毒感染率低的同時，治療、教育和認知都在擴大，這些功績如果沒有足夠的資助和政治保證可能將會出現逆轉。

Next week, some 30 presidents and prime ministers will join other international leaders at U.N. headquarters to take stock of current commitments and chart the future course of the global AIDS response.

這個星期，30來個國家的總統和總理將在聯合國總部參加另外一次國際領導人會議，對目前的保證做出評估，並繪製未來全球艾滋病應遵循的道路。

U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro says the high-level meeting will help propel the international community toward the “triple zero” goal.

聯合國常務副祕書長米吉羅說，這次高級會談將幫助推動國際社會向三個零的目標發展前進。

“We expect to have concrete steps whereby 2015, by 2020, we are in a world where HIV and AIDS is not stigmatized, but we have reduced new infections, we have reduced discrimination - we have eliminated discrimination - and we have eliminated AIDS-related deaths," said Migiro.

她說：“我們預計會拿出具體的步驟。到2015年，也許到2020年，在我們的世界上艾滋病毒和艾滋病將不再是一種魔咒，那時我們將減少新的感染者，減少了對他們的歧視，消除了對他們的歧視，不再出現與艾滋病相關的死亡案例。”

The deputy secretary-general underscored the international community is poised to move farther and faster toward creating a world free of HIV and AIDS.

這位常委副祕書長強調說，國際社會已經準備繼續更快地前進，創造一個沒有艾滋病毒沒有艾滋病的世界。