§ Mr. WoodTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the Government intend to contribute to the fight against the spread of the AIDS epidemic in southern Africa and the treatment of those who have contracted it. [107164]
§ Clare ShortHIV/AIDS is a major challenge in southern Africa, and is a priority for my Department's funding in the region. DFID's programmes include support for prevention, treatment, care and support, and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS. My Department has approved large new commitments to combat HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe; a new £30 million, four-year multisectoral HIV/AIDS programme for South Africa is awaiting approval. We also support a SADC HIV/AIDS programme (£7.5 million over four years) covering Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia and Botswana, and have recently approved a further £6 million for work across Africa to support connections between on-going regional work and funding some new regional initiatives, such as working on orphans and vulnerable children. In addition to direct support for HIV/AIDS programmes, DFID is increasingly mainstreaming efforts to combat HIV/AIDS into all development programmes.
We have also contributed significantly to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria from which many of the countries of southern Africa will benefit.