Focus on HIV-Aids cost family planning a decade, says UN population chief

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Source: The Guardian

The international community has "made a mistake" with the intensity of its focus on the global HIV-Aids epidemic and lost ground on family planning issues as a result, according to the head of the United Nations population agency.

In an interview with the Guardian as the world population reaches seven billion, Babatunde Osotimehin, the executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNPF), said efforts to expand family planning services in the developing world stalled for a decade while global health organisations turned their energies to fighting HIV-Aids.

"We made a mistake. We disconnected HIV from reproductive health. We should never have done that because it is part and parcel," he said.

About 60 million people have been infected with or died from HIV-Aids in the 30 years since the virus was first identified in the US. Meanwhile, the global population is due to hit seven billion on 31 October. About 1.8 billion are young people, the vast majority of whom are living in the world's poorest countries.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/24/population-hiv-aids-mistake-un

[SoapBox]

1. Well....DUH!

"We made a mistake. We disconnected HIV from reproductive health. We should never have done that because it is part and parcel," he said."

Like...hello?

Now you'all are think'n about it?