Harder work urged as AIDS goals lose ground

With 10 new HIV/AIDS infections occurring every minute, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned that current action still fell far short of what was needed to tackle the global pandemic. In a recent statement marking World AIDS Day, Annan said: "Clearly, we must work even harder to match our commitment with the necessary resources and action." He pointed out that at the current rate of progress, none of the goals set during the General Assembly’s 2001 session to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS would be reached by the target date of 2005. "We cannot claim that competing challenges are more important, or more urgent," Annan stressed. "We must keep HIV/AIDS at the top of our political and practical agenda."