Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 3

Written Answers. - HIV Infection.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

151 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he intends to promote and influence policy to tackle the issue of AIDS on the African continent; the new initiatives he has planned in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27061/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Mr. Kitt)

Since its recognition just 20 years ago, HIV-AIDS has spread to all countries across the globe and is likely to become the leading cause of death from an infectious disease in the 21st century. 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 response of the international community to HIV-AIDS is guided by the Declaration of Commitment on HIV-AIDS, which was agreed at a special session of the UN General Assembly, UNGASS, held in June 2001. In his address to the UNGASS, the Taoiseach announced the commitment of an additional $30 million, €31.5 million, to address the HIV-AIDS pandemic to be spent through the Government's official aid programme.

This pledge has been fully honoured by the Government and was reaffirmed last month by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in his address to the UN General Assembly debate on the UNGASS.

Over the last three years, the volume of Government funds committed to HIV-AIDS has increased ten-fold. In 2002 alone, more than €40 million was spent on HIV-AIDS programmes. There has been a similar budget for 2003. These additional resources have been directed at HIV-AIDS activities at the global, regional, national and community levels and are implemented through international and regional organisations and in programme countries. There has been a particular focus on addressing the epidemic in the most highly affected countries in Africa.

The Government's financial contributions to the fight against HIV-AIDS are complemented by a strong policy of influencing other OECD donors and international agencies for a more urgent and effective response to this disease.

The Government provides funding to the joint United Nations programme on HIV-AIDS, UNAIDS, the main advocate for global action on the epidemic. It leads, strengthens and supports an expanded response aimed at preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV-AIDS, and alleviating the impact of the epidemic.

Ireland has also been a strong advocate and supporter of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, GFATM, since it was established in 2001. Ireland is one of only a small number of countries to have fully honoured its pledge to the fund and has released €20 million to date. Ireland has recently instigated a study to track the effectiveness of the global fund in beneficiary countries.

The Government has made the HIV-AIDS pandemic one of its priorities for its Presidency of the European Union for 2004. An inter-ministerial conference on HIV-AIDS in Europe, with representatives from over 50 countries, will be held in Dublin next February. A meeting between European and African parliamentarians on the challenges HIV-AIDS presents to governance in Africa will be held in Dublin in April. In June, the Government will host a meeting on the importance of investing further in the development of an effective vaccine against HIV-AIDS.

HIV-AIDS continues to be the biggest single obstacle to reducing poverty and to attaining the millennium development goals. Through these and other initiatives, the Government remains fully committed to contributing to the global response to HIV-AIDS and ensuring this response is effective.