Health authorities agree that anyone who needs ART should have access to it. Reaching that ambitious goal is challenging. According to the World Health Organization, 11.7 million people in low- to middle-income nations were on ART in 2013, thanks to a drop in drug costs. According to estimates, the cost of providing ART and support services to one person is now approximately $500 a year, down from nearly $1,100 in 2004. That price continues to fall.
Yet access to ART remains a dream for millions of people. The investment in fighting HIV/AIDS is unprecedented. Since 2010, the United States has spent more than $200 billion on domestic and international HIV efforts, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. But the recession in 2008 put pressure on financial resources. In some parts of Africa, clinics were closed and new patients were no longer accepted for treatment.
To keep up with demand for ART, we need to change our funding strategy. 2016 estimates from the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis suggest that if an additional $22 billion above current levels is spent over five years ($4.4 billion per year) to implement test-and-treat in 21 African countries where the virus is widespread, HIV transmissions can be stopped and the epidemic can be ended. As part of its advocacy efforts, TTEA and other partners are exploring a range of funding options, including quantitative easing, to fully fund $22 billion for this humanitarian campaign.