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Overseas Development Aid.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 May 2004

Wednesday, 19 May 2004

Questions (133, 134)

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

132 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he proposes to use his influence to address the problem of AIDS in Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14790/04]

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Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

133 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent of the problem of AIDS in each of the African countries; the extent to which he can report success in dealing with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14791/04]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together.

Recent statistics published by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, indicated that in 2003 over 40 million people were living with the HIV/AIDS virus. Sub-Saharan Africa, by far the worst affected region, is now home to over 26.6 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 3.2 million new infections occurred there in 2003, while the epidemic claimed the lives of an estimated 2.3 million Africans in the past year.

HIV/AIDS is a key priority for the Development Co-operation Ireland programme. Ireland was one of the first donors to develop a HIV/AIDS strategy and we have worked to ensure that the issue is high on the agenda of the EU and of the UN's funds and programmes. Since 2001 our financial allocations to the fight against AIDS have increased tenfold with a budget allocation of €40 million in 2004. These resources are directed at HIV/AIDS activities at the global, regional, national and community levels and are implemented through international and regional organisations and in our programme countries. The latter include six highly-affected countries in southern and eastern Africa.

We have made HIV/AIDS a key priority of our EU Presidency. We hosted a major conference on the pandemic in the European and central Asian region in February, followed by a seminar in April on the role of parliamentarians in the fight against HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. A final conference will be held in June on the status of research and development into preventive technologies including a HIV vaccine. These meetings have provided a forum for high-level policy dialogue on HIV/AIDS and have reinforced political commitment within the EU member states to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and alleviate its impact.

Ireland has advocated a strong response to HIV/AIDS through financial support and representation on the executive boards of UN agencies such as UNDP and UNICEF. In addition, we provide funding to UNAIDS. The Government will continue its support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria and will be represented at all the fund's board meetings in 2004. We use our membership of the board to contribute to strategic policy orientation and our work at country level also feeds into policy dialogue. At the country level, Development Co-operation Ireland will be working with the Clinton Foundation and other donors, such as Norway and Canada, to support the Government of Mozambique in its efforts to implement a national HIV/AIDS strategy, including a plan to provide life-saving drugs to infected poor people.

In 2003, global resources for HIV/AIDS totalled approximately €4.7 billion — a 500% increase since 1996. This figure is, however, less than half the estimated $10.5 billion that will be needed by 2005. Uganda, one of our programme countries, has managed to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, with infection rates dropping from above 20% to less than 10%. There have also been important successes in Senegal and Botswana. The South African Government recently reversed its opposition to the establishment of a national programme of HIV/AIDS treatment with anti-retroviral drugs and is now in the process of rolling out a national treatment regime.

Such examples of progress give some hope that this pandemic can be surmounted but a lot more work and effort is needed for this to be realised and the challenges are enormous. HIV/AIDS continues to be the biggest single obstacle to reducing poverty and to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Through the Development Co-operation Ireland programme, the Government will do all in its power to combat the pandemic at the global, regional and national levels in developing countries.

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