Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Oct 2001

Vol. 543 No. 1

Written Answers. - Overseas Development Aid.

Rory O'Hanlon

Question:

108 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the measures which have been taken by the EU and by the Government to support the eradication of AIDS from sub-Saharan Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25842/01]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

The pandemic of HIV-AIDS is the major development challenge facing sub-Saharan Africa. The most recent UNAIDS-WHO report on rates of infection shows that there are now 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa in which more than one tenth of the adult population aged 15-49 is infected with HIV. In seven countries, all in the southern cone of the continent, at least one adult in five is living with the virus.

The unparalleled impact of the pandemic requires an urgent and broad based response by the affected countries and by the international community. Ireland has been to the forefront at international and EU level in urging intensified action to tackle the HIV-AIDS pandemic in Africa. An important international initiative was the first ever UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV-AIDS, UNGASS, which took place in New York from 25-27 June 2001. The concern with which Ireland views the HIV-AIDS pandemic was underlined by the decision of the Taoiseach to personally lead the Irish delegation to the special session.

At EU level we pressed the European Commission to prepare a programme for accelerated action against HIV-AIDS, malaria and TB. This communication, which was published in September 2000, formed the basis of the new EU policy and action plan to tackle HIV-AIDS, which was adopted by Development Ministers in November 2000. The new policy focuses on a number of key areas, including improving the effectiveness of existing interventions, improving access to medicines and increased research and development. The European Union has also contributed substantially to the global AIDS and health fund, which was agreed at UNGASS. Out of a total commitment of 1.8 billion, more than 1 billion has been pledged by the EU member states and the Commission.

In the framework of the EU-Africa dialogue, Ireland has also played a leading role on the issue of HIV-AIDS. The Taoiseach spoke about the challenge of HIV-AIDS at the EU-Africa summit in Cairo in April 2000. Ireland has also taken the lead role on behalf of the European Union in the follow-up to the plan of action adopted at Cairo. At the mid-term EU-Africa ministerial conference held in Brussels on 11 October to evaluate progress on the Cairo plan of action, the Mini ster of State, Deputy O'Donnell, led for the EU side on HIV-AIDS. In her intervention, the Minister of State focused on the need for an intensification of the fight against HIV-AIDS in the context of poverty reduction, the need to increase investment to strengthen health systems, the central importance of political leadership for improving health, fighting disease and delivering on commitments to increase the volume of resources for the health sector, and the need to ensure that key pharmaceuticals are made accessible and available to the poor. She also underlined the importance of increasing investment in the research and development of new drugs to fight HIV-AIDS.

Ireland has also intensified its bilateral support to eradicate HIV-AIDS. Ireland Aid has adopted a HIV-AIDS strategy, which mainstreams action against the disease into all our development activities. Substantial additional resources have also been made available. At UNGASS, the Taoiseach committed Ireland to spending an additional $30 million per year directly on the fight against HIV-AIDS. Work is now under way to ensure that these additional funds are spent through the most effective channels, including NGOs, our bilateral programme and multilateral organisations.

In 2000 a total of £6.7 million, 8.5 million, was allocated to the fight against HIV-AIDS activities across the Ireland Aid programme. Ireland Aid has established HIV-AIDS programmes in all six priority countries – Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Ethiopia – and in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ghana. Ireland Aid also funds the efforts of NGOs and missionaries in the fight against HIV-AIDS, as well as UNAIDS and the international AIDS vaccine initiative. The level of Ireland Aid funding for HIV-AIDS activities will to grow sharply over the next few years as the overseas development aid budget expands in line with the Government's commitment to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP by 2007.