Vol. 563 No. 4
247 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the large number of medical personnel Cuba is prepared to make available in the fight against AIDS/HIV in Africa; if he will consider using some of the ?30 million overseas aid budget to facilitate the deployment of those personnel in the fight against AIDS/HIV; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7895/03]
As the world enters the third decade of the AIDS epidemic, the evidence of its impact is undeniable. By far the worst affected region, sub-Saharan Africa, is now home to 29.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 3.5 million new infections occurred there in 2002, while the epidemic claimed the lives of an estimated 2.4 million Africans in the past year. The Cuban Government's offer to help fight the epidemic through the provision of medical personnel in places with a high incidence of AIDS, like Africa, is commendable. The spread of HIV/AIDS in Cuba has been curtailed, largely due to the proactive approach adopted by the Government of that country and the implementation of effective prevention and education programmes.
The Irish Government's response to HIV/AIDS is guided by the HIV/AIDS strategy for the Ireland Aid programme published in 2000. A growing aid budget and a strong commitment to delivering on this strategy have meant very substantial increases in the volume of financial resources allocated by Ireland Aid to programmes in response to the HIV-AIDS epidemic. This funding is directed at HIV/AIDS activities, primarily in Africa and implemented through international organisations, NGOs, regional initiatives and in programme countries. The focus of Ireland Aid's support is on developing the capacity of partner governments and national AIDS councils to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and to mitigate the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. In 2003, over €40 million has been allocated by Ireland Aid across a number of activities including the global fund for AIDS, TB and malaria; AIDS vaccine research initiatives and prevention, care and support activities implemented by NGOs and UN agencies engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
