Alliance urges action to close the HIV services gap at International Development Committee session on global HIV epidemic
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
Website: http://www.aidsalliance.org
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News from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance
16 November 2006 - for immediate release
A global HIV services gap exists which sees 95% of injecting drug users, 89% of men who have sex with men, and 84% of sex workers without access to basic HIV services. The International HIV/AIDS Alliance is urging action at a session of the International Development Committee taking place on Thursday 16 November.
G8 and UN Member State commitments to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 will not be achieved unless services are delivered to marginalised and vulnerable populations, such as sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men.
At this session the Alliance is also urging:
the UK to sponsor a resolution for the creation of a Special Rapporteur on HIV and Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council;
the International Development Committee to convene an international meeting to begin the process of developing an International HIV and Human Rights Action Plan; and
the UK Government to appoint a Special Representative for Sexual Minority Rights.
The International Development Committee's session will be looking at the UK's progress in delivering HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to marginalised populations and the extent to which policy and programming is effectively addressing newer epidemics in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Alliance senior policy adviser Joseph O'Reilly will tell the committee that "global commitments to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support mark a significant development in global AIDS policy. However, so far we have seen little or no attention to the needs of marginalised populations in national planning for universal access."
The Alliance is highlighting:
Without a sea change in approaches to reducing the vulnerability of marginalised populations and addressing human rights violations against these groups, universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support will not be realised.
Support for AIDS programming from donors must be flexible enough to respond to diversity in the nature of different epidemics. Donors must guard against avoiding funding work that is politically sensitive or ideologically bound.
The Alliance's submission is available at www.aidsalliance.org/IDC
Ends
Editor's notes
1. Established in 1993, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (the Alliance) is a global partnership of nationally-based organisations working to support community action on AIDS in developing countries. These national partners help local community groups and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take action on AIDS, and are supported by technical expertise, policy work and fundraising carried out at the UK-based international secretariat and across the Alliance.
2. The International HIV/AIDS Alliance has a special interest in HIV, marginalised populations and emerging epidemics, with over 12 years' experience working with sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, injecting drug users and people with HIV in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. For example, the Alliance's Frontiers Prevention Project aims to slow the spread of HIV by focusing prevention efforts in low-prevalence countries on people living with HIV and those most likely to be infected.
3. The Alliance has worked with community organisations from over 40 countries, provided financial support to over 3,000 projects (implemented by over 2,000 community and faith-based groups). Expenditure in 2005 alone was over US $45 million (£25 million).
4. On World AIDS Day (1 December) 2005, the International Development Committee issued the report Delivering the goods: HIV/AIDS and the provision of anti-retrovirals (HC 708). The Committee subsequently decided that it would return to the issues of HIV/AIDS annually, to hold the UK Government to account for the commitment it made in 2005 to support international efforts, led by UNAIDS, to achieve the goal of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support for all those who need it, by 2010.
5. More information about the work of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance is available from www.aidsalliance.org. Alternatively, and to arrange interviews, please contact Simon Moore. T: 01273 718744. E: smoore@aidsalliance.org or Rhian Evans. T: 01273 718961. E: revans@aidsalliance.org
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
