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AIDS Alliance hopes for strategy

Could do better

Sunday, 8 June 2008

The report card reads “nice effort but could do better” this week as The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (The Alliance) welcomed the British government’s long-term commitment to HIV and to strengthening health systems in developing countries. There is concern from The Alliance however that much more needs to be done as they question whether sufficient funding has been allocated and if the money will actually be spent on HIV services.

Worldwide barely 1 in 4 people are accessing HIV treatment and only 1 in 5 are accessing basic prevention services which leads to The Alliance questioning whether sufficient funding has been allocated and if the money will actually be spent on HIV services.

Alvaro Bermejo, the Alliance’s Executive Director said, “We welcome the UK government’s continuing commitment to HIV. The British government has in the past demonstrated global leadership on HIV. We are pleased to see the focuses on those most at risk of HIV, like women and children, and vulnerable groups including injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men. However rather than allocating money for HIV-specific activities, the £6 billion announced is likely to go directly to governments’ health budgets. It means there are no guarantees that the money will actually be spent on HIV services.”

With many marginalised and vulnerable groups fighting stigma and discrimination accessing HIV services through the mainstream services has never been easy. A concern for Bermejo. “We are currently not clear how the funding is going to reach civil society and the most at risk populations who are at the forefront of the fight against HIV.”

For details of the governments updated AIDS strategy
www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/new-aids-strat-launch.asp

[urlwww.aidsalliance.org[/url]