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Roundtable discussion in the context of the World AIDS Day

aids logoHIV/AIDS NGOs warn that progress made in access to treatment for HIV/AIDS falls seriously short of the growing needs worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) target of providing 3 million people living with AIDS with ARV treatment by 2005 has been missed.

At a roundtable discussion held in Brussels on 29 November, representatives of Southern and Northern NGOs express their concerns that the number of people needing treatment for HIV/AIDS has grown more rapidly than the number of people receiving treatment. Officials of the European Commission and representatives of the Council Development Cooperation Working Party participated in the discussions and shared their views on what strategies and resources are needed, and how both the EU and civil society can contribute to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis). The roundtable meeting was hosted by the HIVOS (Dutch NGO) and organised with the support of EEPA.

“Only 15% people infected with HIV/AIDS have access to essential antiviral drugs. This means that over 5.5 million people suffering from AIDS do not receive adequate treatment”, states Pieter van Veenen, Lobby and Campaigning Advisor at HIVOS. Although coverage has increased from 13% in 2003 to 15% in 2005, he warns that, “The progress made in treatment provisions falls seriously short of the growing need.”

Coverage rates also differ greatly across regions. While Latin America has achieved coverage of 62% in 2005 (which, although high, represents a decrease from 65% in 2004), the coverage rates in East, South, and South East Asia and Europe and Central Asia are 14% and 13% respectively. Referring to the relatively high coverage rate in Latin America, Eugene Schiff from the Agua Buena Association stresses that the overall figure also masks stark inter-regional divisions: “In Latin America, some countries have relatively high coverage – such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, while some very poor countries in the region are lagging behind – such as Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti.” The greatest reason for concern is the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, where only 500 000 out of 4,7 million people receive treatment.

Referring to the many pledges made by world leaders, including the call for Universal Access to Treatment by 2010, made by the G8 leaders in June 2005, Nomfundo Eland from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) urges, “We do not need more empty promises. What is needed is strong political will, adequate financial means and decisive actions.” Notably, the group calls on the EU and the EC to:

  • ensure that essential medicines are made available at low cost prices to health services and free of charge at service point;
  • increase the EC’s contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from a current level of 90 Million Euros to a minimum of 300 Million in the Financial Perspective 2007 – 2013;
  • support genuine involvement of civil society organisations and NGO activists in order to make crucial changes to national policy making and implementation;
  • continue to keep the issue of TRIPS on the agenda of the WTO in order to maintain affordable medicines also for second and third line ARVs;
  • more actively support the manufacturing, storage and export of generic HIV-related medicines;
  • combine increased access to treatment with prevention measures, including through the use of condoms.

A group of 600 treatment activists from more than 100 countries, the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) released the report Missing the Target – A Report on HIV/AIDS Treatment Access from the Frontlines, that looks at the status of antiretroviral treatment provision in low income countries around the world. The report identifies barriers to AIDS treatment and offers concrete recommendations to overcome them. Among the roadblocks: inadequate leadership at national level, severe shortage of health care workers, lack of necessary funding, bureaucracy, poor management and pervasive stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS.

Click here to read the NGO Statement presented by Hivos and Partners at the roundtable

Presentations at the roundtable meeting:

  • Click here: presentation of Eugene Schiff (Agua Buena Association)
  • Click here: presentation of Vinod Reddy (SIAAP, India)
  • Click here: presentation of Seco Gerard (Médecins Sans Frontières)
  • Click here: presentation of Marta Monteso (Stop AIDS Alliance)
  • Click here: to read the ITPC Report