Achieving universal access to anti-HIV drugs and treatment by 2010 is unlikely to be reached by every nation across the globe, two leading officials said August 6 at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City, Agence France-Presse reports.

Peter Piot, MD, head of UNAIDS, and Michel Kazatchkine, MD, chief of Global Fund, also said that some fast-advancing economies such as China could shoulder more of their own medical costs in the future, which would free up resources for countries mired in poverty.

“2010 is 18 months from now,” Dr. Piot said. “What we’ve seen is that in a number of countries, they’ve already reached their universal access targets, others not.”

The 2010 target of universal access to HIV drugs was established in June 2006 by a U.N. General Assembly resolution and supported by the Group of Eight.