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Gambia : UNAIDS/WHO Respond To The Gambia, Urging Evidence-Based AIDS Treatments

New York, NY (AHN) - In response to claims in Gambia (a small West African country) of a new AIDS cure, the United Nations (U.N.) agencies responded by calling for "evidence-based" treatments for the AIDS pandemic on March 16.

The U.N. agencies believe it is very important to emphasize that there is no cure for AIDS in existence today and that evidence is necessary to approach AIDS treatments.

The Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization's (WHO's) response as stated in a U.N. News report "strongly encourage The Gambia to collaborate with international experts on efforts to assess the safety, efficacy and quality of the therapeutic intervention, according to standard practices in any product development.

Once a person has been infected with HIV, he or she remains infected for life," the report adds.

A further warning was issued in the report by the UNAIDS and the WHO, stating that "herbal remedies can not take the place of comprehensive treatment and care for people living with HIV (including prophylaxis and treatment for opportunistic infections, and highly active antiretroviral therapy where indicated).

Additional warnings were made that the discontinuation of proven antiretroviral treatments "will lead to very serious adverse effects, and even death."

Promotions by the UNAIDS and the WHO of combination antiretroviral therapy have been proven to not only prolong life, but also improve the quality of life for those infected with the virus.

These agencies have been able to provide these treatments in the sub-Saharan African communities by an increase of 20 percent in the last three years (from less than two percent in 2003 to 23 percent in June 2006).

The UNAIDS and the WHO reported that "these gains must be sustained."