On Monday, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander announced Britain will commit $12 billion over seven years to improve health infrastructures in developing countries as a way to fight HIV/AIDS. The funding pledge is in addition to $1.9 billion already earmarked for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
The new money "demonstrates [Britain's] determination to remain at the forefront of global health efforts to achieve universal access," Alexander said in a written statement to the House of Commons. "If we are to achieve universal access, and to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS, the evidence demonstrates that we require a long-term approach, across a range of health systems and services."
Alexander said the government will scale up by at least 50 percent its funding for research into HIV vaccines and microbicides. Britain will work with others to lower the cost of treatment and increase services for injecting drug users, he said. The money will also help support AIDS orphans and vulnerable children, as well as increase access to family planning services and condoms.
Oxfam's director of policy and campaigns, Phil Bloomer, praised the announcement but added, "Tackling the AIDS epidemic will require more than investment in health systems. It is also about factors such as education, awareness-raising, counseling, and the provision of security of food and income for all those who need it, whether infected or affected."
06/02/08
UNITED KINGDOM: Britain Pledges $12 Billion to Combat AIDS
Source: Agence France Presse; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention