HC Deb 04 March 2003 vol 400 cc942-4W
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial resources have been allocated to HIV/AIDS projects in each year since 1992. [100003]

Clare Short

DFID bilateral commitments to HIV/ AIDS since 1991/92 are as follows:

HIV/AIDS bilateral commitments by year
(£million)
1991/92 6.9
1992/93 10.1
1993/94 37.4
1994/95 78.2
1995/96 57.1
1996/97 53.6
1997/98 106.4
1998/99 154.8
1999/00 231.1
2000/01 362.6
2001/02 436.4

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the economic development of(a) Swaziland, (b) Malawi, (c) South Africa, (d) Tanzania, (e) Ethiopia, (f) Kenya and (g) Botswana. [99994]

Clare Short

HIV/AIDS is having a catastrophic impact on sub-Saharan Africa undermining and even reversing gains made in economic and social development over the last two decades. Current estimates suggest that HIV/AIDS has reduced the growth of Africa's per capita income by 0.7 percentage points a year.

In South Africa, DFID is co-funding research into the economic impact of HIV/AIDS (with USAID and AUSAID), looking at the effects on labour supply, agriculture, on the education and health sectors, and at the household level. Research is also being done on developing methodologies for the analysis of the impact of HIV/AIDS on economic sectors, which will have broader application across Africa. In Kenya and Malawi, DFID are shortly about to undertake similar impact assessments.

Elsewhere in Africa, economic impact assessments are being undertaken by a number of agencies, the findings of which are enabling DFID to develop their cross-sector strategy to combat HIV/AIDS and support country governments in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS responses.

  1. (a) In Swaziland, UNAIDS estimate that maize production has been reduced by 54.2 per cent. as a result of AIDS deaths among households.
  2. (b) In Malawi, HIV/AIDS is estimated to depress economic growth by 1.5 to 2 per cent. annually. Human capital is being continually drained with 8 to 10 per cent. of teachers lost every year to AIDS, faster than can be trained.
  3. (c) HIV/AIDS is impacting negatively on South Africa's international competitiveness, with domestic and foreign investment being deterred because of the high HIV prevalence rates.
  4. (d) The World bank estimated that in Tanzania, GDP will be 15 to 20 per cent. smaller than in a non-AIDS scenario in 2010 because of the impact of disease on physical, human, and social capital accumulation.
  5. (e) Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural based economy, and HIV/AIDS is impacting heavily on rural populations. Families with an infected family member spend 14 hours a week working their land compared with the average of 34 hours, bringing agricultural productivity down considerably.
  6. (f) In Kenya, GDP is projected to decline by 14.5 per cent. by 2005, while per capita income would decline by 10 per cent. due to AIDS.
  7. (g) In Botswana, the epidemic will be responsible for an 8 to 10 per cent. decrease in per capita income over the next ten years and households in poverty will increase by 6–8 per cent. in the next 10 years.
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which HIV/AIDS education programmes her Department is supporting, broken down by continent. [99996]

Clare Short

My Department is working with development partners to ensure that HIV is mainstreamed throughout education systems, plans and interventions in all African countries and elsewhere where we are providing education support. Support to education is critical to ensure that "Education for All" is achieved and that school children in Africa are properly equipped with the skills and knowledge with which to protect themselves from the epidemic. This includes working directly with Ministries of Education to ensure that school curricula address HIV and AIDS in a manner that is gender-sensitive and relevant to students.

We are also making progress by piloting targeted school-based HIV prevention programmes—the Nigeria Extended Life Planning Education Project is one such initiative.

DFID is also supporting innovative "edutainment" programmes in Southern Africa, using multiple media such as radio drama, pamphlets and cartoon books to communicate about HIV prevention. For example, we are supporting a regional initiative to provide materials on HIV/AIDS to all 12 to 16-year-olds in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Other HIV education programmes supported by my Department include:

Africa

Educational support to HIV/AIDS—Rwanda:HIV/AIDS Community Prevention and anti-AIDS project educational material—South Africa:Supporting the needs of young people—South Africa:Capacity building for HIV/AIDS Education—Africa regional:Africa Alive HIV/AIDS education messages to young people—Africa regional.

Asia

Reproductive Health Education and HIV/AIDS education—Kyrgyzstan:HIV/AIDS Education Project for young people—China.

Eastern Europe

United Nations Fund for International Partnerships.

Pacific

VSO HIV/AIDS personal and social education for Kiribati youth.