What are you calling for?
In 2005, the leaders of the world’s richest nations - the G8 - promised HIV treatment for all who need it by 2010. But so far, these countries have not provided anywhere near their fair share of the money needed to provide treatment for all.
At this year's Heilegendam Summit, the G8 pledged a total of $60bn to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and train health workers in Africa - less than half of what's actually necessary. 4 out of 5 people living with HIV in poor countries still have no access to treatment.
We are calling on world leaders to wake up to the urgency of the AIDS crisis and act now to get their target back on track. We want more money, a change in the global trade rules that keep medicines out of reach of the poor, investment in health systems and greater action to promote and defend the rights of women and girls.
What is meant by universal access?
In the broader sense, ‘universal access’ means everyone having access to all the services they need to avoid HIV infection, and that all people living with HIV and their families can live healthily and securely with the virus for as long as possible.
However our current campaign aims to achieve universal access to HIV treatment specifically.
How much will universal access cost?
ActionAid estimates that a funding gap of at least $8.1bn exists for 2007 alone. UNAIDS recommend that AIDS funding reaches $15bn in 06, $18.1 in 07 and $22.1 in 08 to enable a scale up sufficient to achieve universal access.
Isn’t it pointless to spend so much money on treatment if people are going to die anyway?
On a personal level, the difference between a child losing its parents at age two and age twelve is enormous. This is the difference which providing ART can make. It gives people living with HIV crucial extra years to keep working, bringing up their children and ensuring they are well provided for.
What’s more, at country level the cost effectiveness of treatment is clear. In some countries – Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana – more than one in five adults is infected. As more people become sick and die, a whole generation is disappearing, and with it doctors, teachers and other key workers. In Botswana, a country of just 1.8 million, 120,000 children have lost their parents to AIDS. Unless the dramatic death toll from AIDS is reduced, things will get even worse, and many of these countries will literally collapse. Ensuring access to treatment for those infected whilst also reducing the number of new infections is the only sustainable way to overcome the pandemic and its effects on poverty and development.
How will the drugs get to those in need ? Isn't building hospitals more important?
Strengthening health systems in developing countries is a crucial component of scaling up to universal access. This has always been reflected in ActionAid’s lobbying advocacy around access to HIV treatment, and as members of the Stop AIDS Campaign we have called both for increased investment in health and for an end to policies which prevent the development of strong health systems. When we say fund treatment for all, we include the cost of building up health infrastructure, paying nurses and doctors.
What if people take their medicines incorrectly and cause drug resistance to develop?
Treatment failure is a problem in all countries and occurs naturally after a few years, including in the developed world. Even in Switzerland, up to 20% of patients experience first-line treatment failure within two years.
The bottom line is that whatever country you’re in, drug resistance and progression to a new course of treatment (called second or third line treatment) is normal. Of course medical and psychosocial support are needed to ensure that people delay resistance by taking their treatment correctly, and that they do not pass drug resistant HIV on to others. ActionAid strongly supports the provision of this type of care and support as part of any treatment regime. We advocate policies which better support health system development in poor countries and fund community based organisations to deliver support to those on ARVs.
Why doesn't ActionAid just build a factory to produce these medicines?
While building a factory to supply medicines may seem like the ideal solution, ActionAid believes that by working towards longer term change we can have a much greater impact.
ActionAid has identified the key barriers to people getting access to treatment as;
- Lack of sufficient funds from rich country donors
- International trade rules which make provision of cheap medicines difficult
- Weak health systems in developing countries (this is covered in more depth below)
By campaigning for improvements in these three areas, both in rich countries and on the ground in the developing world, we can have a much greater impact than building any amount of factories
Does ActionAid pay for Anti Retro-virals [ARVs]?
ActionAid does not buy or directly deliver ARVs to people in developing countries. However we do support community based organisations which deliver treatment, provide services and support people living with the virus to campaign for their rights to treatment and a decent standard of living.
Why are you campaigning on treatment not prevention?
By campaigning on treatment, we are not saying that prevention isn’t important. ActionAid strongly supports a comprehensive response to the AIDS pandemic, and many of the organisations we support in the field are involved in HIV prevention and education alongside supporting people living with the virus.
In the UK, and indeed other G8 countries, political will to support HIV prevention efforts overseas has traditionally been strong relative to the level of commitment on ensuring access to HIV treatment. In the 16 months since Gleneagles, G8 leaders have failed even to produce a funding plan to show how their commitment to HIV Treatment for All will be reached by 2010. By mobilising public support around this issue, we have the potential to create huge and crucial change, ensuring that millions of people around the world enjoy their basic rights to life and health. This is not at the expense of prevention efforts, but rather we are asking leaders to honour their commitments on treatment alongside the efforts they are already making.
Shouldn’t we spend the money on the NHS rather than sending it to African countries?
In 2005, our government made an election pledge to lead G8 countries in achieving this momentous target. They have reaffirmed this commitment at various stages since. This is their target – not something we have just plucked out of the air – and as campaigners for global justice it is our responsibility to hold them to account. If we are successful, it will mean the difference between life and death for millions of people around the world.
The funding gap for next year stands at £4bn, spread across the eight G8 countries. When we consider that people in Britain spend more than this amount on their pets each year it is clear how wrong it is to suggest that we can’t afford this amount.
