Struggle to Combat HIV in Burma As Funds Are Cut

YANGON, MYANMAR - APRIL 5 Ma Gyim ,41, a victim of HIV- AIDS sits on her bed after shaving her head at the HIV-AIDS Care and Prevention center April 5, 2012 in Yangon, Myanmar. Ma Gyim said that due to her weakness from being so ill she couldn't wash her hair well so she shaved it off. The shelter houses around 150 men, women and children who are effected by AIDS. The facility is funded by the National League for Democracy (NLD) political party run by recently elected parliament member Phyu Phyu Tin. According to a recent report by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) who is the largest provider of HIV treatment in the country, urgent action is needed to save lives of HIV-AIDS patients in Myanmar. According to the report 85,000 people in urgent need of lifesaving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) are not able to access it . The cancellation of an entire round of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria means that money used for expansion of treatment will be cut through 2014. According to the recent MSF report, between 15,000 and 20,000 people living with HIV die every year in Burma because of lack of the lifesaving medicine anti-retroviral therapy (ART). The Burmese government spends only 0.3% of the gross domestic product on health, the lowest amount worldwide, according to the United Nations Development Program 2008 survey (UNDP). (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)