27 July 1990

37th Plenary Meeting

1990/86. Prevention and control of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its resolution 1989/108 of 27 July 1989, General Assembly resolution 44/223 of 22 December 1989, relevant resolutions of the World Health Assembly, as well as relevant resolutions of other organizations of the United Nations system, the London Declaration on AIDS Prevention and the deliberations of the Sixth International Conference on AIDS, held at San Francisco, United States of America, in June 1990,

Recalling further the Paris Declaration on Women, Children and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and World Health Assembly resolution WHA 43.10 of 16 May 1990 on women, children and AIDS,

Acknowledging the established leadership of the World Health Organization in directing and co-ordinating AIDS prevention, control, education and research,

Noting with appreciation the efforts of other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the public and private sectors, in combating the spread of AIDS,

Stressing the need to take full advantage of the World Health Organization/United Nations Development Programme Alliance to Combat AIDS and to strengthen its role in facilitating the implementation at the country level of the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS,

Aware that AIDS can have serious social and economic consequences, particularly in countries with a high incidence of infection from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and limited public health services and other developmental resources,

Reaffirming that the struggle against AIDS should be consistent with and divert neither attention nor resources from other national public health priorities and development goals and should not divert international efforts and resources needed for overall health priorities,

Aware that about one of every four hundred adults in the world today is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, of which three million are females, and that as heterosexual transmission of HIV infection increases, the percentage of women infected will rise to equal that of men,

Considering the extensive health, economic and psychological implications of HIV infection and AIDS for women, children and families,

Emphasizing that the prevention and control of HIV infection and AIDS for women and children call for the strengthening and improvement of the primary health care system and for educational and other psychological, social and economic support programmes for women, children and families,

Recalling the resolutions of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the World Health Assembly concerning the need to respect the human rights and dignity of all people, including those affected by the human immunodeficiency virus, their families and those with whom they live,

1. Takes note of the report of the Director-General of the World Health Organization on the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS;

2. Requests the Secretary-General, in view of the adverse impact of HIV infection and AIDS on the health and economic and social well-being of women, children and families, to intensify his efforts, in close collaboration with the Director-General of the World Health Organization and all other relevant organizations of the United Nations system, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Population Fund, to mobilize technical and other relevant resources to deal with this aspect of the problem;

3. Calls upon organizations of the United Nations system, Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to co-ordinate their efforts with the World Health Organization in implementing the global strategy for the prevention and control of AIDS;

4. Invites the General Assembly to consider the report of the Director-General of the World Health Organization and the response of the United Nations system to the AIDS pandemic and to take an appropriate decision on further action, taking the present resolution into account.