The UN General Assembly adopted a political declaration at the end of its three-day high level meeting on HIV/AIDS on June 10 to strengthen efforts to root out the fatal disease.

The declaration highlighted clear and feasible targets to chart a new path in the global efforts and response in HIV/AIDS prevention and control for the next decade.

The targets include halving sexual transmission of HIV and transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs and putting an end to HIV transmission from mother to child by 2015.

Other targets are to increase universal access to antiretroviral therapy, treat 15 million people with life-saving drugs and reduce tuberculosis deaths in people living with HIV by 50 percent within the next five years.

The 17-page declaration called upon governments to show their political will to reach the set targets by 2015 and strengthen global efforts to eliminate the disease.

The declaration also emphasised the urgent need to facilitate access to HIV/AIDS prevention and control services for high risk groups, including gays.

In the declaration, governments committed to make grater efforts to increase the longevity of HIV/AIDS infected people as well as the quality of their lives.

Member states also pledged to work together closely to raise the global funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and control to 22-24 billion USD a year from now to 2015.

An estimated 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV and another 7,000 contract the disease everyday, mainly in poor countries. The epidemic has orphaned 16 million children./.