New UK strategy on HIV/AIDS
A great year of sustained pressure, and a big last minute campaigning push, has helped strengthen the UK's new plans for tackling HIV/AIDS in the developing world. But the UK has much more to do if it is keep its promise of providing universal access to HIV treatment, prevention, care and support by 2010.
Lewis Bassett of Roehampton P&P hands in the giant action card representing over 25000 signatures to number 10 Downing Street
Image © Photographer Andy Aitchison
The government’s new strategy addresses many of the concerns raised by campaigners, including recognising the need to more to promote gender equality and the human rights of marginalised groups. The government also plans to spend £6 billion on health systems and services by 2015 — an important long-term funding commitment.
This is really important progress, and it wouldn’t have happened without your campaigning. The government has acknowledged that student campaigning had a big impact on the shape of the strategy, so well done to all of those who sent a email, ran events, lobbied MPs or collected action cards — the government received a massive 25,000.
Yet to keep its promise to make AIDS history, the UK needs to spend £2.5 billion on HIV/AIDS in the next three years. The government’s promise amounts to only £1 billion a year for health overall, and does not specify how much will be spent on AIDS. This sends a dangerous signal to other funders, and is bad news for the millions of people in the world who are denied access to the services that could transform their lives.
- Read the new UK AIDS strategy, and the response of the Stop AIDS campaign.