明天，国际社会将迎来世界艾滋病日。今年，我想通过重点介绍两位英雄的事迹来纪念这个日子，他们在与这一致命疾病的斗争中发挥着重要的影响。
乔纳森·艾诗罗尼·穆米纳（Jonathan Eshiloni Mumena，音译）酋长是卡翁德人（Kaonde）的首领，卡翁德人生活在赞比亚与刚果民主共和国的边境交界处。作为一项预防艾滋病病毒传播的策略，穆米纳酋长冒着失去领导地位的风险挑战当地沿袭已久的传统，鼓励卡翁德男性自愿接受包皮环切（包皮环切可使男性感染或传播艾滋病病毒的风险减少60%）。2012年，我有幸见到了穆米纳酋长本人。他的故事鼓舞人心，充满着勇敢无畏的领导力和对人民深沉的怜悯。
秉承着卫生保健是一项基本人权的信念，来自泰国的药剂师克里萨娜·可来新图博士（Dr. Krisana Kraisintu，音译）不知疲倦地从事着降低药品成本的工作，让即使是世界上最贫穷的人也能买得起药。由她研制的防治艾滋病病毒感染的仿制药极大地降低了治疗成本，挽救和改善了无数人的生命。此外，她还利用自己的制药技能，投身于降低疟疾及其他疾病治疗成本的事业中。
当然，除了穆米纳酋长和可来新图博士之外，还有数不清的医生、政策制定者、研究人员、活动家和政治领袖，他们都对扭转疾病形势做出了贡献。如今有1950万人接受抗逆转录病毒治疗，这使他们有机会活出充实而富有成效的生活。改进治疗的可及性还意味着数百万婴儿出生时无艾滋病病毒感染。
这些进步的取得，很大程度上仰赖于全世界在抗击这一流行病上做出的巨大投入，其中包括全球抗击艾滋病、结核病和疟疾基金（Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria）和美国总统防治艾滋病紧急救援计划（PEPFAR）。
尽管如此，人类与艾滋病的斗争仍将面临重重考验。
正如今年早些时候我在《目标守卫者》报告中写到的，艾滋病防控一直没能获得更多的经费，而且随着全球的注意力转向其他重要领域，现在有人主张削减这部分的经费。减少艾滋病领域的投入将会导致死亡和新发感染的急剧上升，我们在过去十年里取得的成就将付之东流。因此对全世界来说，当下重申对这项斗争的承诺比以往任何时候都要重要。我们需要更多抗击艾滋病的英雄，不仅包括医护工作者和倡导者，而且包括全球领导人。在大家的共同努力下，我们定能终结这一公共健康威胁。
The Fight Against AIDS is Filled with Heroes
On December 1st, the global community will observe World AIDS Day. This year I would like to mark it by highlighting the work of two heroes who are making a difference in the fight against this deadly disease.
Chief Jonathan Eshiloni Mumena is chief of the Kaonde people, who live along Zambia’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Risking his position as his people’s leader, Chief Mumena challenged long-held traditions to encourage Kaonde men to embrace voluntary medical male circumcision as a strategy to prevent HIV transmission. (Male circumcision can reduce a man’s risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV by up to 60 percent.) I had the privilege of meeting Chief Mumena in 2012. His story is an inspiring tale of courageous leadership and deep compassion for his people.
Guided by her belief that health care is a basic human right, Dr. Krisana Kraisintu, a pharmacist from Thailand, has worked tirelessly to make medicines affordable to even the poorest in the world. Her development of generic versions of the lifesaving HIV drugs dramatically reduced treatment costs, saving and improving countless lives. She has also dedicated her pharmaceutical skills to reduce treatment costs for malaria and other diseases.
Of course, Chief Mumena and Dr. Kraisintu are just two of the countless individuals – doctors, policymakers, researchers, activists, and political leaders – whose contributions have helped turn the tide against the disease. Today, 19.5 million people receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, giving them the opportunity to live full, productive lives. Improved access to treatment has also meant that millions of babies are now born HIV-free.
Much of this progress has been made possible by the world’s enormous investments in efforts to defeat the epidemic, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the U.S. HIV/AIDS program known as PEPFAR, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Still, many challenges lie ahead in the fight against the AIDS epidemic.
As I wrote about earlier this year, funding for HIV control has been flat and there’s talk about cuts as the world turns to other priorities. Cuts in funding for HIV/AIDS would lead to sharp increases in deaths and new infections, reversing the gains that have been made the last decade. That’s why it’s more important than ever for the world to reaffirm its commitment to this fight. We need more AIDS heroes – from health care workers and advocates to global leaders. Together, we can bring an end to this public health threat.
