Stephen's Views on AIDs

The global AIDS epidemic is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. It seriously undermines efforts to eradicate poverty in the least developed countries. The growing recognition of the threat of HIV and AIDS has helped to generate increased funding to fight the disease; greater political engagement in responding to it, and greater mobilisation of communities which are affected.

Despite these welcome advances, rates of new infection are still on the rise and millions of adults and children continue to go untreated and to die prematurely. There is insufficient investment in paediatric antiretroviral drugs and I am concerned that the pharmaceutical companies have no real commercial interest in the issue. My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues and I are therefore urging the British Government to press the pharmaceutical companies on this issue.

The UK also has a responsibility to encourage a global fair trade in medicines. The WTO's decision to make permanent a 2003 waiver to the TRIPS (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) agreement is a step in the right direction. This means that countries unable to pay for patents to manufacture essential drugs for their populations should be allowed to procure 'generic' drugs from other countries. The UK has a significant role to play in helping to enforce this new agreement, and the Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to take this role seriously.

The UN's Global Fund was established in 2002 to channel the international response to AIDS, alongside TB and malaria. Sadly, the Fund is still some $3.3 billion short of what the G8 agreed was needed for 2006/7. This reflects badly on the developed countries' collective resolve. Millions of people continue to back the Make Poverty History campaign and want to be reassured that the Government will make good its pledges. So far that reassurance has not been forthcoming, but the Liberal Democrats will continue to press the Government to fulfil the monetary promises they made while the media spotlight was on the issue.

Existing funds also need to be used effectively. I believe that donor co-ordination mechanisms are essential, both to increase the effectiveness of AIDS related aid delivery, and to avoid unnecessary duplication. It is therefore crucial for the Department of International Development to monitor where aid is going, what it is being spent on and what effects it is having. Without such monitoring, targets are rendered meaningless.

I believe that a comprehensive UN funding plan to ensure AIDS treatment for all who need it is necessary, requiring a commitment to genuinely replenishing, not just reshuffling, existing funds between competing priorities.

Rest assured that we will continue to hold the Government to account over their actions in combating the effects of this crisis, and will make sure that the children and families living with HIV/AIDS are not forgotten.