More Funds Needed to Fight HIV And AIDS

In this regard, they have called upon donor countries to urgently pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in order to go ahead with the sixth round of financing.

The Fund is a multi-million Dollar investment set up by the UN Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2001 to fight also TB and Malaria.

Though Round 6 calling for proposals for funds was launched in April, there is a risk the Global Fund Board will not fund these if sufficient resources are not made available in the next couple of months.

An estimated 1.1 billion US Dollars is needed, however, for 2006 alone the fund faces a funding gap of 0.9 billion Dollars while the total gap for 2006-2007 is 2.1 billion Dollars.

This came out at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV and AIDS, in New York that ended on Friday.

The special session started on 31 May to review the progress that each country has made in implementing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS adopted by the General Assembly in 2001.

The meeting has since adopted a new Declaration of Commitment and Universal Access by 2010, which the Global Fund has been tasked to spearhead in order to achieve the set targets.

It builds on the historic 2001 declaration which was seen as turning point in the global response against HIV and AIDS.

However, the Global Fund Board member Liz Mataka of Zambia said the fund was at the crossroad, and there was nearly no money available for funding new programmes so urgently required.

"The Global Fund has shown impressive results to date more than 540 000 people living with HIV now have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment through programmes that are financed by the fund."

This has shown an increase of 42 percent compared to December last year.

Expected outcomes in the next couple of years of currently funded programmes are that more than 1.8 million people will be on antiretroviral therapy, 62 million clients reached with voluntary counselling and testing services for HIV, and over 1 million orphans supported.

The Global Fund is at the moment funding more than 350 programmes in 131 countries and accounts for 20 percent of worldwide spending on HIV and AIDS.

"The Global Fund has certainly restored hope in our countries where there was no light at the end of the tunnel," said Ms Mataka.

She said there were growing concerns among civil society organisations that the UNGASS would only lead to vague statements that would not lead to universal access in 2010 and reaching the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.

"The need is immediate and it is real - we can make a difference if our leaders commit to funding this innovative funding mechanism," added Ms Mataka.

On behalf of the communities of people living with HIV and AIDS, Mr Javier Hourcade Bellocq of Argentina said: "We can continue to save lives, but we need the Fund to play a large part in this strategy of global coordination. And this means we need money now to fund Round 6 proposals".

Meanwhile, the UN's General Assembly President Jan Eliasson said that he had seen a new dynamic at the UNGASS, with member states and civil society coming together "as never before, in a genuine and vibrant interaction".

"The voices of those living with HIV, and of other groups, have been powerfully heard, and this has contributed significantly to what I see as a good, substantial and forward-looking Declaration," he said

The 2006 Declaration reaffirms previous goals while also calling for ambitious national targets as the world moves toward universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

It also promotes the protection of human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women, young people and especially girls to reduce their vulnerability to HIV.

The Declaration also calls for strengthened efforts to combat stigma and social exclusion connected with the epidemic, endorsing full rights for people living with and vulnerable to HIV, to education, inheritance, employment, health care, social and health services, legal protection and HIV information, prevention, support, and treatment.

Furthermore, it agrees that 20 to 23 billion US dollars is needed for the AIDS response by 2010.

It calls for the development of improved drugs, diagnostics and prevention technologies including vaccines and microbicides, and reaffirmed that the World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) does not prevent countries from protecting public health through the production of generic drugs.

Also a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention was endorsed, with specific mention of reducing risk-taking behaviours and encouraging responsible sexual behaviour, including abstinence and fidelity expanded access to essential commodities, including male and female condoms and sterile injecting equipment among others.