The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas)The Government is publishing today "World AIDS Day, the UK's Call for Action on HIV/AIDS". A copy is being placed in the Library of the House.
The call for action is the first step in increasing the UK Government's effort to tackle HIV/AIDS and global poverty eradication. It signals our intention to work for a deeper, more sustained and better coordinated international response involving high-level political leadership, pressing for more resources to be made available, and working together more effectively with other donors. We will make HIV/AIDS—with Africa—a centrepiece for our Presidencies of the G8 in 2005 and of the EU in the second half of 2005.
We are calling on the international community to work better together to achieve real progress towards the international targets for HIV/AIDS, in particular:
Twenty five per cent fewer young people to be infected with HIV/AIDS by 2005;Three million people—2 million in Africa—to be receiving treatment by the end of 2005; andOne national strategy, one national AIDS commission and one way to monitor and report progress in every country affected by HIV (the "Three ones").This is a challenge we must all rise to, both here and internationally; governments, parliaments, NGOs, the private sector and the public. We are inviting comments from interested bodies and individuals on the Call for Action and these can be sent to: AIDS@dfid.gov.uk.