New guidelines help MPs step up HIV action

New guidelines on how parliamentarians can speed up HIV treatment have been published by IPU and UNAIDS.  Fast-tracking HIV treatment: Parliamentary action and policy options defines a range of measures parliaments can take to try and ensure all citizens with HIV have access to treatment.  HIV treatment is a cornerstone of the AIDS response - helping prevent deaths and new infections – but is still not accessible to all who need it.  Vital agents of change, MPs have a pivotal role in delivering social justice and human rights, including access to HIV treatment.  The guidelines provide examples of good practice by parliaments and individual members on the issue.  The wealth of information in the publication includes details of the fast-track targets the world must meet to end the AIDS epidemic as a global health threat by 2030, the human rights-based approach to HIV, the patenting of drugs and ensuring  it does not restrict access to treatment, and how to mobilize resources and finance treatment of the disease.