|
...........
29th November 2007
MPs unite to call for leadership
before World AIDS Day
2 days before World AIDS Day, NGOs united with scores of MPs in
Parliament Square beside a giant AIDS ribbon made of 6000 red carnations
– each flower marking one person who dies of an AIDS-related
illness every day. The event was held to create parliamentary pressure
around the forthcoming Government AIDS Strategy. In all, 65 MPs
attended the event and promised to take action to strengthen the
UK’s efforts. These included the Secretary of State for International
Development, development spokespeople for the Conservatives and
Liberal Democrats, and the Chair of the International Development
Select Committee. > See World
AIDS Day report
20th November 2007
New estimates of global AIDS epidemic provides call for
action not complacency
UNAIDS launched new figures that estimate the numbers of people
living with HIV and AIDS across the world is slightly lower than
previously thought. Whilst use of new surveillance methodologies
account for a significant part of this reduction, the report records
successes in prevention and treatment programmes as a factor in
reducing infection and mortality rates in a number of countries.
The report also makes clear that even with methodological revisions,
AIDS remains the largest cause of death in Africa and requires much
greater investment to tackle its causes and effects.
> See press
release
October 2007
Unite to Fight AIDS Speaker Tour reaches 2000 students
Visiting 18 universities across the country, and stopping off for
a meeting in parliament along the way, the annual Unite to Fight
AIDS Speaker Tour brought dynamic international speakers to other
2000 students. During the tour participants tied knots in a huge
red ribbon – presented to Douglas Alexander just before World
AIDS Day – as a reminder to keep the promise of universal
access.
27th September 2007
$10bn pledged for Global Fund, but $8bn shortfall remains
Important increases in funding totalling $10bn over 3 years for
the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria were announced at
its replenishment conference in Berlin. While significant in allowing
life-saving expansion of treatment and services, the failure of
many countries to treble their contributions – as promised
at the G8 in 2007 – means a projected $8bn shortfall remains
to be filled. See the press release >
Global
Fund left wit h shortfall in fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria.
25th September 2007
Brown fails first test on AIDS with weak Global Fund pledge
The UK announces an early pledge to the Global Fund to fight AIDS,
TB and Malaria, providing just half the amount expected and called
for. Whilst all donor countries were expected to treble their contributions
by 2010 to fulfil a 2007 G8 promise, the UK agreed an increase of
just 20%. See a > report
and press release > Brown
faces first test as PM in fight against Aids
23rd September 2007
UK minister and Global Fund Executive Director address Stop
AIDS Campaign meeting at Labour Party Conference
Baroness Shriti Vadera, a DFID minister, and Michel Kazatchktine,
Executive Director of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria,
participated in a Stop AIDS Campaignb fringe event at the Labour
Party Conference. Discussions included the UK support to the Global
Fund, and the forthcoming UK AIDS Strategy. Other speakers included
Simon Wright from Action Aid International, Barbara Stocking from
Oxfam and Shaun Mellors from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
22nd September 2007
Elton John and leading MPs back Global Fund call
In a joint letter to The Times, the development spokespeople from
the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats joined the chairs of
three All Party Parliamentary Groups on AIDS, TB and Malaria to
back the Stop AIDS Campaign’s call for £700m to be committed
over three years to the Global Fund. On the same day in The Guardian,
Elton John wrote a peronal opinion piece backing the same call based
on his experiences working through his Foundation. See the >
Elton
John article. See also > letter
to The Times.
September 2007
‘If Not Now, When?’ – New Campaign launched
New campaign is launched to influence the Government’s forthcoming
Strategy to tackle HIV and AIDS in the developing world. The campaign
is taglined If Not Now, When? If Not You, Who? and draws attention
to a speech made by the Prime Minister to ensure promises on tackling
poverty and disease are not broken. >
more information
6-8th June 2007
G8 summit demonstrates poverty of ambition
Despite some small positive steps, the G8 ultimately failed to deliver
on their promise of Universal Access by 2010. Find out what happened
at the G8, and what it means for HIV and AIDS at our >
G8 outcome page.
See also, our > press
release (PDF file)
2nd June 2007
580,000 Voices Against Poverty announced at London G8 rally
Supporters of the Stop AIDS Campaign took part in ‘The World
Can’t Wait’ rally as part of the Your Voice Against
Poverty. Over 580,000 ‘voices’ were collected in the
run up to the day and announced at a rally on the banks of the Thames,
calling for the G8 to act on global poverty, the environment and
the fight against HIV and AIDS. See: >
news,
pictures and video clips (external link)
22nd May
Over 10,000 action cards delivered to 10 Downing St
Over 10,000 of the ‘access denied’ action cards collected
by people across the country were delivered to Downing St, along
with a letter from the Stop AIDS Campaign and a ‘This is Your
Life in AIDS’ book to chronicle Blair’s record on HIV
and AIDS – and to outline what his final actions should be.
22nd May
UK Government announce support for Thailand’s Compulsory License
Responding to a letter from People & Planet, the UK Government
has strengthened its support for Thailand’s use of TRIPS flexibilities,
with a specific endorsement of their right to issue compulsory licenses
in the way they have done. See: >
letter
(PDF file)
26th April 2007
UK Government agrees to treble size of Global Fund under pressure
from campaigners
At the Global Fund Board meeting, the UK Government finally agreed
that the Global Fund should aim to treble in size to distribute
between $6-8bn each year by 2010 – a position they had earlier
resisted. The target figure represents a large scale up of the Global
Fund, although is smaller than many civil society groups had originally
hoped for. Meeting this target will rely both on demand from recipient
countries, and sufficient funding from donor countries. See the
Stop AIDS Campaign press releases: >
before
the meeting, and > after
the final decision.
26th April
Global Day of Action Against Abbott
Responding to efforts made by Abbott Laboratories to stop the Thai
Government exercising its legal rights to access affordable generic
medicines, the Stop AIDS Campaign joined other campaigners across
the world in protesting against their bullying and blackmailing.
An e-action to the Abbott CEO has been ongoing, whilst UK campaigners
took part in a protest outside Abbott’s UK HQ in Maidenhead
under the slogan ‘Abbott Makes Us Sick’. >
Read more
about the issue and take the e-action See: >
UK campaigners actions and >
global activities (external links)
19-20 April 2007
UK searches for ways of reducing drug prices
Representatives of the Stop AIDS Campaign participated in 2 days
of seminars hosted by the Department of International Development
to discuss ways in which the UK could increase access to essential
medicines. Pressure from campaigners was important on placing the
issue on the agenda, now we need to ensure real action is taken.
See: >
information about the seminars. See also: >
press
release from DfID (external link)
20th March 2007
Parliament Day of Action
On 20th March 2007, hundreds of campaigners travelled to Parliament
to lobby their MPs and tell Hilary Benn to ‘Keep the Promise’
on Universal Access to HIV Treatment by 2010, and ensure that the
G8 delivers on its commitments. Held a week before the Development
Ministers of each G8 country met in Germany, campaigners targeted
Benn and MPs to ramp up the pressure. 10,000 of the ‘access
denied’ action cards collected so far were presented.
As a result, Benn made commitments to ensure that
action promoting Universal Access would be included in the G8 negotiations,
including action to reduce the price of essential medicines. See:
> pictures
and a report of the day
February 2007
Launch of new G8 policy paper
In advance of the start of the negotiations leading up to the G8
summit, the Stop AIDS Campaign produced a policy briefing entitled
How the G8 Can Deliver Universal Access by 2010. It outlines actions
in 4 priority areas – financing universal access, strengthening
health systems, ensuring affordable medicines and supporting women
and children – that the G8 should take to keep their promise.
See the > policy
paper (external link)
January 2007
German Finance Minister targeted in mass e-action
In advance of the G7 Finance Ministers meeting on 9th-10th February,
campaigners across the UK emailed the German Finance Minister, Peer
Steinbruck, en masse to call for a long-term comprehensive funding
plan for Universal Access. Letters supporting this call were sent
to each G7 Finance Ministers by campaign groups in their country.
1st December
World AIDS Day 2006 - Campaigners get active across the
UK
With World AIDS Day falling on a Friday, and
MPs being back in their constituencies, the campaign went local
with groups across the country organising activities to lobby their
MPs, hold stunts to promote access to treatment, get action cards
signed and gain coverage in the local media.
> examples
of Oxfam groups’ activities
> examples
of Student Stop AIDS Societies activities
> examples
of People & Planet groups’ activities
> see
Stop AIDS’s Campaign’s World AIDS Day Press release
30th November 2006
European Parliament backs Stop AIDS Campaign demands
MEPs call on the European Commission and member states
to increase their contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS, as
well as action to ensure the production and distribution of generic
medicines.
> news
report
> text
of resolution
30th November 2006
LSE students target Hilary Benn
The Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn,
was targeted by LSE students when he delivered a speech on HIV/AIDS:
prevention, treatment and care - how will the world deliver Universal
Access by 2010? As well as giving out information to people
attending the lecture and campaigning outside the venue, around
50 members of the LSE People & Planet Group, all dressed in
Stop AIDS t-shirts, questioned him in unison on access to medicines
and the government’s commitments to promoting generic medicines
(see left-hand photo below).
> read
the speech
> our
press release in response
29th November 2006
UN Special Envoy urges UK Government to act
UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis urges UK Government to ‘be
an example to the rest of the world’ by promoting affordable
generic medicines. Speaking at an event organised by ACTSA, he described
the failure to tackle the HIV epidemic as “intolerable and
unconscionable tragedy that must be addressed” and criticised
G8 leaders for reneging on promises made at Gleneagles.
November 2006:
Action Aid launches report on financing universal access
Action Aid’s new report calls on the world leaders to fill
the gap between what is needed to fund the fight against HIV/AIDS,
and what is being spent.
> see
the report
21st November 2006
UNAIDS launches its new report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic
UNAIDS launched the AIDS Epidemic Update 2006, showing that the
prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues to grow across the globe. It estimates
that 2.9 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2006,
and 39 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
> see
the report
16th November 2006
Early Day Motion 107 launched
An Early Day Motion urging the government to act to promote the
production and distribution of generic medicines in order to keep
the promise of universal access to treatment was launched by Neil
Gerrard MP.
> see
the text and supporting MPs
14th November 2006
Marking the 5th Anniversary of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS
and Public Health
5 years ago on this day, world leaders promised that intellectual
property rights would not be a barrier to the production and distribution
of generic medicines. 5 years on, the problem remains unsolved.
To mark the day we delivered an anniversary card to the Prime Minister
(see left-hand photo above), and send cards to every MP calling
on them to support the campaign and urge the government to act.
Oxfam also launched a report criticising the role of rich countries
and pharmaceutical companies.
> read
the Oxfam report
> see
our press release
> read
the WTO Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health
9 to 20 September 2006
Unite to Fight AIDS Speaker Tour
The Student Stop AIDS Campaign organised a tour of 17 universities,
bringing 4 AIDS activists from around the globe to campuses across
the UK to talk about HIV in their communities. Reaching 1,500 students
in less than 2 weeks, they pressed home the injustice of non-treatment,
and mobilised people for active campaigning.
24th September 2006
Stop AIDS Campaign meeting at Labour Party Conference
Masi Cowper, a South African treatment activist, and Tobias Luppe,
from Medecins Sans Frontiers, launched the campaign to Gareth Thomas
MP, Under-Secretary of State for International Development, who
promised to accept the challenge of the Stop AIDS Campaign and work
for improved access to affordable generic medicines.
19th September 2006
Stop AIDS Campaign criticises UK contribution to new treatment
initiative
A new body to increase access to treatment and significantly reduce
the price of new drugs was launched. ‘UNITAID’ aims
to raise new money for treatment from air taxes, as well as reducing
the prices of drugs such as Kaletra and Viread. While welcoming
the UK’s participation in the initiative, the Stop AIDS Campaign
criticised the size of its contribution, its failure to make the
contribution additional to its aid budget or to link it to an air
tax.
September 2006
‘Access Denied’ Campaign Launched
The new campaign begins – calling on the Government to lead
the world in promoting the production and distribution of the generic
medicines needed to make treatment genuinely affordable.
> Government’s
response to the campaign
Note: Hover your mouse
pointer over the photos for more information.
 |
|
|
| The Campaign |
| |
|
| >
Current Campaign Actions |
|
| ............................................................................................................................................................................................... |
| >
The Facts and Campaign
Briefings |
|
| ............................................................................................................................................................................................... |
| |
| Find out
more |
| |
| >
Highlights from Campaign History (under construction) |
| ............................................................................................................................................................................................... |
| >
Our members |
| ............................................................................................................................................................................................... |
| >
Joining
the Campaign |
| ............................................................................................................................................................................................... |
| >
Care
& Treatment in the News |
| |
|
