Funding crisis must be addressed

At the CAFOD-funded St Francis Home-Based Care programme in Livingstone, Zambia, volunteers are trained to care for those with HIV [Annie Bungeroth]

More than 40 million across the world now have HIV, with up to five million new infections in 2005 alone, according to the latest UNAIDS figures.

These statistics are worrying enough but, earlier this year, UNAIDS estimated the next two decades could see 89 million new cases of the infection just in Africa - up to 10% of the continent's population.

Global funding for HIV prevention and treatment for AIDS-related illnesses has tripled in the past four years from a little over US$2bn to $6bn.

But the UN recommends a committed campaign against HIV and AIDS would require $200bn (£105bn) of investment to stem its spread.

Epidemic outstrips efforts

The UNAIDS recent Resource Needs Estimation report calls for $55bn of that to be put in over the next three years for prevention, treatment and care, support for orphans and vulnerable children, and accompanying costs.

When releasing the latest figures, Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director, said: "The reality is that the AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip global and national efforts to contain it.

"It is clear that a rapid increase in the scale and scope of HIV prevention programmes is urgently needed. We must move from small projects with short-term horizons to long-term, comprehensive strategies."

The high profile G8 talks over the summer at Gleneagles produced some pleasing rhetoric about upping the support for the fight, but little in the way of real promises.

The final communiqué from that summit, signed by all eight world leaders, talked of creating an “AIDS-free generation” in Africa by providing universal access to the necessary treatment within five years.

However, this was then qualified with the phrase “as close as possible”, although pledges were made to increase direct investment for the G8 Global HIV and Aids vaccine enterprise.

In response to the statement, the Make Poverty History coalition praised the leaders for “responding courageously” to the crisis, but also warned: “Without adequate financing, this bold and visionary target could become another of the broken promises that litter the history of the pandemic.”

Worldwide spread

Funding concerns are heightened by the knowledge that, whereas Africa tends to receive much of the spotlight, the rest of the world is also facing a growing HIV crisis.

In 2004, almost a quarter of a million new HIV infections were recorded in Latin America, a region where 1.7million are already living with HIV.

Figures from the Caribbean show it is the second-most affected area in the world after sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Piot recently told the Central America Congress of STD/HIV and AIDS (CONCASIDA) that: “The AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean suffers from a lack of visibility – particularly for countries in Central America.”

Meanwhile, the Pacific region has also been placed on alert by UNAIDS, which states the area is at risk of a serious epidemic.

Its regional director Dr Prasada Rao recently commented: “The question is not whether this will happen, but when this will happen.”

Eastern Europe also continues to face a growing epidemic, with many countries facing high risk factors such as poverty, high unemployment, stigma attached to the disease, and discrimination towards marginalised people.

Violeta Andjelkovic, the HIV programme co-ordinator for CAFOD partner the International Aid Network (IAN) in Serbia, says: “The epidemic in our country is hidden because we don’t know how many people are infected.

“We also have a lot of problems connected to HIV and AIDS because it isn’t only a medical problem, but a social problem as well. The government and public don’t recognise the seriousness of the situation.”

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