UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Executive Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Michel Sidibe on Thursday vowed to defend the "human right" of people living with HIV to get access to medicine.
Speaking at a press briefing held on the sideline of the UNAIDS, Sidibe who is also UN under secretary-general said "what we are talking about today with this life-changing announcement, is about the quality of medicine, is about equity, is about the dignity, is about access to medicine as a human right."
A breakthrough pricing agreement would accelerate the availability of the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV regimen to be purchased in over 90 low and middle-income countries, he said.
The reduced price is at around 75 U.S. dollars per person, per year, Sidibe said.
UNAIDS is trying to reach all 36.7 million people living with HIV with high-quality anti-retrovirus therapy, he added.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the same day, Sidibe said ending HIV/AIDS requires global solidarity and cooperation.
"We need really to strengthen system. We need to produce low-price medicine, which can really be affordable for the poorest segments of the society, so no one is left behind," Sidibe said.
"I'm confident because I know that the movement behind is bigger than me. What people want is to make sure that for once, they have been successful ending a major, major health crisis like HIV/AIDS is possible," he added.
