The HIV/AIDS Project |
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TAKE ACTION
On this page you can read more about:
Taking Action on HIV and AIDS 2008
- 2011
The Stop AIDS Campaign
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Taking Action on
HIV and AIDS 2008-2011
| The UK Government is currently formulating a new Strategy
to tackle HIV and AIDS in the developing world - a key
opportunity for the UK to demonstrate its leadership
by delivering the measures needed to achieve the promise
of Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care
and Support by 2010. It should be published in early
Spring 2008 by DFID (the Department for International
Development). |
|
The need for a bold and ambitious strategy is clear.
Almost 40 million people are living with HIV or AIDS.
Despite the target date for Universal Access being just
a few years away, over 70% of people cannot access the
drugs they need to stay alive, while 80% cannot access
basic prevention services. As a result, 8000 people
die of AIDS related-illnesses every day.
This AIDS Strategy will set out the shape and scope
of the UK's contribution to meeting the promise of Universal
Access by 2010. It will demonstrate whether or not the
UK is serious about keeping the promise it originally
brokered, and could set either a positive or negative
example to other major donors across the world. The
dangers of complacency are as real as the benefits of
ambition. As the world's second biggest provider of
funding for HIV and AIDS, the scope of the UK's strategy
is central in shaping the global response.
Investing in tackling HIV and AIDS is also effective.
UNAIDS highlights studies that show that a fully-funded
comprehensive response to HIV would prevent 28 million
new infections up to 2015 - half of all those projected
to occur. Not only would the human and social benefits
be immense, the same study makes clear that it would
produce significant financial savings too by averting
much larger future treatment and care costs.
Investment in HIV prevention, treatment and care services
can stimulate benefits in other areas too. Kofi Annan
has made it clear that the Millennium Development Goals
could not be achieved without success in dealing with
HIV and AIDS, and in many countries HIV can be by far
the largest single burden on health and educational
systems, and a major barrier to economic growth and
life expectancy.
The Stop AIDS Campaign
The Stop AIDS Campaign is the campaigning arm of the UK
Consortium on AIDS and International Development - a coalition
of over 80 NGOs and Trade Unions promoting effective responses
to the HIV pandemic.
They are calling for ambitious action in three main
areas:
- Finance Universal Access:
Commit at least £2.5bn over three years to ensure
that the UK pays its fair share of global resources
needed to achieve Universal Access by 2010.
- Reduce the prices of essential
medicines: Promote generic medicines by tackling
trade barriers and developing a patent pool for essential
medicines.
- Strengthen Health Systems:
Address the health worker shortage and provide longterm
financing to strengthen services and infrastructure.
Click on Stops
AIDS Campaign to see how you and your congregation
can take action and make your views known before
the UK Government's strategy is finalised and it's too
late.
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Donate online now!
The Church of Scotland is continuing to raise urgently
needed funds for its ongoing HIV/AIDS project.
Help give hope to people like Philomina in South India:
please donate now
Every penny raised counts and if you are a UK tax payer
your donation could be worth an extra 28p for every pound
donated if you Gift Aid it. Click
here to find out more about Gift Aid.
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