§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Department is contributing to the World Health Organisation's AIDS/HIV drug procurement programme; and if he will make a statement. [135992]
Mr. Gareth ThomasThe WHO's HIV/AIDS drug procurement programme is an initiative that we welcome and look forward to its launch on 1 December.
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Mr. Gareth ThomasSince 1997, the Department for International Development has stepped up its spending on HIV/AIDS from £38 million in 1997–98 to more than £270 million in 2002–03. According to UNAIDS, UK is currently the second largest bilateral donor active in the field of HIV/AIDS.
Since May 1997 DFID has committed over £1.5 billion to support the development of health systems in partner countries. This will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and assist them in making effective choices about the selection of drugs.
The UK has a long-term commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and recognises that in order to be effective it needs predictable and sustainable financing. The UK recently extended its pledge by a further two years to 2008 bringing our total contribution to US$280 million.
The pattern of our disbursements has been agreed with the Global Fund Secretariat—for the financial year 2003–04 the UK has provided £25 million, and for the financial year 2004–05 we will provide £30 million.
UK funding will be subject to the GFATM reflecting a clear poverty focus, achieving a better financing system, integrating the Fund's activities more effectively with national programmes and meeting agreed benchmarks to monitor its effectiveness. I am pleased to report that good progress was made at the recent sixth board meeting in Thailand on many of these issues.