HIV/AIDS
Posted: 02 Nov 2006 @ 00:00
The Stop AIDS Campaign was a key part of the Make Poverty History campaign,
highlighting the significance of this disease in the battle against poverty.
HIV/AIDS has already helped to cause a drastic reversal of progress in
development in many countries of Africa: the disease wipes out so much of the
productive adult population, and places incredible strain on families and
communities.
MPH's demands
Make Poverty History called for commitment to universal access to
HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010 and replenishment of the Global Fund for HIV,
tuberculosis and malaria.
G8's promises
The G8's commitment to access to HIV
treatment was the clearest success of the campaign, a significant and important
policy shift to committing to "as close as possible to universal access to
treatment for all those who need it by 2010".
Since G8?
The G8 target for 2010 was endorsed at the UN World Summit, and
has become an international commitment.
Nevertheless, the final pledges to replenishment of the Global Fund to fight
AIDS, TB, and malaria were only just over half of the $7 billion it needed,
despite the increase promised by the UK. The US commitment was the greatest
disappointment: President George W. Bush pledged much less than the total he
had promised.
What next?
WHO and UNAIDS are taking forward the planning for meeting the
target, but the Stop AIDS campaign will watch to make sure the G8 do not forget
the commitment they made.
Achieving this target will require advances in UK policy and practice: to
generate more resources to make drugs affordable and accessible, and to
strengthen health systems in the poorest countries that are most affected. You
can email your MP today by going to
www.stopaidscampaign
. org.uk