Between 2000 and 2006, around one-third of the public has named HIV/AIDS as the most urgent health problem facing the world, and currently HIV/AIDS (34%) ranks a close second to cancer (36%) as the health problem cited as most urgent by the largest share of Americans. African Americans and Latinos are more likely than whites to say the HIV/AIDS is the world’s most urgent health problem.
Consistently, a slightly higher share of the public has said that the world is “losing ground” than that the world is “making progress” when it comes to the HIV epidemic. In 2006, large majorities also recognize that most people in developing countries do not have access to medication for HIV (92%) or to needed prevention services (81%).
Americans say that more could be done by all sectors to fight the global epidemic; majorities say that international groups, leaders, and governments are not doing enough today. In 2006, more than half (56%) say the U.S. is spending too little to address HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
Over the past few years, there appears to be an increased willingness to direct American resources to fighting the global HIV epidemic. In 2006, more than half (56%) of the public said the U.S. is now spending too little to deal with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, up from 31% in 2002. In addition, compared with 2002, more Americans in 2006 agree that the U.S. is a global leader and has a responsibility to spend more to fight HIV/AIDS in developing countries, while fewer agree that the U.S. should address problems at home first rather than spending more money to deal with HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
Americans also recognize the importance of prevention in the global effort to fight HIV/AIDS. A majority (54%) say that spending for prevention and education should be the top priority for the U.S. government’s financial help to fight AIDS in developing countries, and six in ten (60%) believe that spending more money on HIV prevention in developing countries will lead to meaningful progress in slowing the epidemic.
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