Aids experts fear we could be ‘losing control’ of epidemic, and an epic crisis is looming

The Aids epidemic risks resurging and spiralling out of control unless billions of extra dollars are pumped into prevention and treatment, experts warned Sunday on the eve of a major world conference.

An alarming rate of new infections, coupled with an exploding population of young people in hard-hit countries, meant the world could be steering for “a crisis of epic proportions,” said Mark Dybul, an American Aids researcher and diplomat.

“Bad things will happen if we don’t have more money,” he told a special event organised a day before some 15,000 delegates attend the opening of the International Aids Conference in Amsterdam.

The world was “probably at the highest risk ever of losing control of this epidemic because of demographics and because of countries not paying attention the way they once did, or never did in some cases,” warned Dybul.

UNAIDS last week reported a record number of HIV-positive people using life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ARV), and lower rates of deaths and new infections – though not low enough according to campaigners.

And even this progress risks being overturned.