Need for Emphasis onTreatment

AIDS programs indeveloping countries put too little emphasis on treatment,the World HealthOrganization

said Tuesday,askingfor more small community-based clinics to be opened to treat HIV-infectedpeople.

An estimated 36million to 46 million people are living with AIDS,two-thirds of them in Africa,but

only 440,000 peoplein developing countries were receiving treatment by the end of 2003,the UNhealth

agency said in itsannual report.

"Withouttreatment,all of them will die a premature and in most cases painfuldeath,"the WHO said in

the 169-page WorldHealth Report.

WHO Director GeneralLee Jong-wook said community-based treatment should be added to disease pre-

vention and care forsufferers in AIDS programs.

"Futuregenerations will judge our time in large part by our response to the AIDSdisease,"Lee said.

"By tackling itdecisively we will also be building health systems that can meet the healthneeds of

today and tomorrow.This is a historic opportunity we cannot afford to miss,"he added.

Antiretroviral drugsenable people hit by AIDS to live longer. The annual cost of treatment,whichwas

about $10,000 whenthe drugs were first developed,has dropped to about$150.

Treatment programsalso help AIDS prevention efforts,the report said,citing great demands fortesting

and counseling wheretreatment has been made available.

Good counseling inturn leads to more effective prevention in those who are uninfected,andsignificantly

reduces thepotential for HIV carriers to pass on the infection,the report said.

Since its discoveryin the 1980s,more than 20 million have died of AIDS,mostly in poor countries.How many peoplehave died of AIDS so far?

A.36 million.

B.46 million.

C.Around 440, 000.

D.More than 20million.