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Yet in the end what was delivered at the G8 summit in June was nothing
like enough to deliver Universal Access by 2010, representing a
real poverty of ambition from G8 leaders that unless rectified will
cost millions of lives.
• They failed to deliver sufficient funding, and deliberately
avoided any timetables to deliver it. Whilst $60bn was
pledged for AIDS, TB, malaria and strengthening health systems,
this is just a fraction of what the G8 must provide for AIDS alone.
Further, the fact that it is to be delivered merely ‘over
the coming years’, as opposed to a specific date (though the
US will provide half of it over 5 years), makes the pledge wholly
unsafe and unaccountable.
• They promised no concrete measures to address the
critical shortage in health workers despite pledges to
tackle the issue at the summit
• They promised no specific measures to help countries
use TRIPS flexibilities to produce and purchase generic medicines,
although they did promise to ‘respond constructively’
to requests from African countries wanting to use flexibilities.
• They set a potentially unambitious treatment target
aiming to provide treatment to 5 million people in Africa ‘over
the coming years’. As UNAIDS estimates that between 7 and
11 million people will require treatment in Africa just by 2010
(and more thereafter), this figure could be lower than required
to meet the Universal Access commitment, especially if delivered
beyond 2010.
Such disappointments led former UN Special Envoy
for AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis to exclaim that “it is simply
unconscionable for the G8 to be so recklessly cavalier about human
life.”
Amidst the disappointments, however, there were
some commitments that, if delivered, would represent some limited
progress. To mean something in reality, however, these require concrete
plans for delivery:
• They reiterated their promise to achieve Universal
Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care by 2010 -
although they have not provided the meand to deliver this.
• They committed to replenishing the Global Fund
– although no firm money will be pledged until September’s
replenishment conference.
• They promised to ‘contribute significantly’
to the $1.5bn needed to ensure universal coverage of PMTCT services
by 2010 – although no specific financial pledges
or plans were made.
• They promised to 'work towards' the $1.8bn needed
to provide Universal Access to paediatric treatments –
although again no specific financial pledges or plans were made.
Ultimately, however, the G8 failed to deliver on their promises,
despite some of the steps made, and a huge amount of work remains
to be done to raise ambitions and turn declarations into specific
actions. As Stephen Lewis said of the G8 “they have it within
their grasp to guarantee full universal access by 2010; if they
wanted it to happen, it would happen.” After the 2007 G8 it
remains up to us all to ensure they do.
Further analysis will be provided on this page
soon.
The Stop AIDS Campaign will continue to work with others to ensure
the G8 finally delivers on its promise. Now, however, we need Gordon
Brown to respond to both the disappointments of the 2007 G8 and
the commitments made, showing leadership at home and abroad in rescuing
the Universal Access commitment.
While he needs to tackle all the barriers to achieving
Universal Access, he can make a good start in his ‘first 100
days’ by:
1) Publicly pledging to pay at least the UK’s
fair share of all resources needed to fight AIDS, and commit to
negotiating an international funding plan that ensures other countries
play their part too.
2) Making a 3-year contribution of at least $1.43bn
to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, by September’s
Replenishment Conference, in order to pay our fair share in supporting
this life-saving mechanism.
For more information
or questions please contact > steve@aidsconsortium.org.uk
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