Aids pledge 'falls short'
2007-06-09 09:42
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned governments against using the economic crisis as an excuse to cut funding for fighting Aids.
Johannesburg - The $60bn pledge by the world's leading industrial nations to combat the spread of HIV/Aids and other diseases in Africa has fallen disappointingly short of expectations and is a major setback for the fight against the epidemic ravaging the continent, activists and campaigners said.
Members of the Group of Eight met with African leaders on their summit's concluding day in Germany on Friday, agreeing on a program that will see half the funds come from earlier pledges by the US, and other nations contributing the rest in an attempt to reaffirm its commitment to lift Africa out of poverty.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria, which will receive $6bn to $8bn of the new funds, welcomed the announcement.
"This is a strong G8 agreement that makes it possible to defeat the pandemics of Aids, TB and malaria," said Dr Michel Kazatchkine, the fund's executive director.
"The endorsement by the G8 leaders, a threefold increase from the current level as part of their recommitment to universal access to treatment, is very good news."
But others said the declaration fell short of the promises made two years ago at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.
Vague language
"AIDS advocates are dismayed by its vague language and lack of planning to meet ambitious goals, despite its promise to add $30bn to US commitments," Kate Krauss, spokesperson for the US-based Physicians for Human Rights said.
Krauss said despite commitments made by the G8 at the 2005 meeting, there has been little progress toward the goal of achieving universal access to comprehensive HIV/Aids prevention programs, treatment and care and support by 2010, or toward developing and strengthening African health systems.
"The G8 communique is turning into a wish list, and not a document that is going to save lives," Krauss said.
"There needs to be a plan for meeting the previous commits made at Gleneagles," she said. "If there is no specific plan for meeting the goals that they are setting out, they don't happen."
UNAids estimates put the number of people needing Aids treatment by 2013 at 12 million, which leaves more than 8 million people who will die without treatment unless the US or other G8 countries fill the gap.
- SAPA