HC Deb 05 July 2000 vol 353 c225W
21. Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's aid to countries in sub-Saharan Africa to combat the spread of AIDS and HIV. [127759]

Clare Short

Along with conflict, the HIV/AIDS epidemic poses the greatest threat to development in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV/AIDS has affected people of every class and culture in Africa. However, it is the poor who have felt the worst of the impacts because they are more vulnerable to the economic and social difficulties the epidemic brings.

We are heavily engaged in work to combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, both in seeking to prevent new infections and in supporting improved care for people whose lives have been affected by the disease. We currently allocate about £25 million per year to HIV/ AIDS prevention and care activities in sub-Saharan Africa and this is set to rise.

In the face of such a devastating epidemic, we cannot afford to be complacent and there is an urgent need to intensify action. In Uganda and Senegal we have seen how sustained political commitment by African Governments and a co-ordinated response in partnership with the international community has controlled and even reduced infection rates. This must be replicated elsewhere in Africa.

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