Hello everyone. It's great to join you even remotely.
大家好。很高兴能够远程加入你们。
I want to thank everyone that I asked for organizing this virtual conference. But most of all, I want to thank the researchers, policy makers, advocates and health care workers listening in today. You've been in the front line of the global response for two pandemics now: COVID-19 and HIV-AIDS. A lot of being asked of you and I know it's a challenging time.
Months after this pandemic began, countries all over the world have COVID-19 cases. On top of that, the pandemic is disrupting the supply chains and therefore slowing our progress in the fight against all other diseases, including AIDS. Both the UN and the Global Fund released projections showing that these disruptions could prevent hundreds of thousands of people from getting the treatments they need. And that's just in Sub-Saharan Africa.
So we have our work cut out for us, but I remain optimistic. I remain optimistic that we will defeat COVID-19, and we will continue to make strides against AIDS and other health crises.
I believe that for several reasons. First is science. In the global race to detect, treat and vaccinate against COVID-19, researchers are making great advances. Faster, better diagnostic tools are being developed to help identify those infected. Investments are being made in libraries of antiviral drugs, which has been an under investment branch of science. Also, we're making great progress on vaccines. These platforms won't just be useful against this particular virus, they will also help us specifically for HIV.
Of course, there's a big difference between getting the platform and making sure we get the products out to everyone who needs them. If we just let drugs and vaccines go to the highest bidders instead of to the people and the places where they're most needed, we will have a longer, more injust, deadlier pandemic. We need leaders to make these hard decisions about distributing based on equity, not just on market driven factors.
As ironic as it sounds, that's the second reason I'm optimistic we will overcome COVID-19, because the world has come together. Specifically, you have done it before. One of the best lessons in the fight against HIV-AIDS is the importance of building this large, fair, global distribution system to get the drugs out to everyone.
Those innovations have only had this impact because of the generosity of things like Global Fund and bilateral commitments like the United States PEPFAR and conferences like this where we get together and talk about best practices, you know, how do we make sure that people are tested? How do we make sure that getting their medicine that they stayed compliant and that we cut that death rate dramatically?
The Global Fund was created all the way back in 2002 and that was a very bleak period with AIDS death. They were surging. Four years later, they peaked, and now they have fallen by more than half.
Now, every death is a tragedy, we need to go further, but that is huge progress. The Global Fund helped turn AIDS from a death sentence to a largely treatable disease in almost all the countries of the world. And it's one of the kindest things that people have done for each other. And I think it sets an example of what we need to do for all diseases.
So whether it's AIDS or COVID-19, global cooperation, a resolve to invent the tools and get them out where they're needed most is critical. When we have those things, nations, institutions and advocates working together on this collective response, we do see remarkable impact.
More than anyone else, you’ve been at the forefront of that. So keep up the great work. Let's keep collaborating on the science, the manufacturing, the delivery systems and so we get all these tools out, including COVID-19 vaccines and other treatments to those who need them most. Thank you.