HC Deb 08 January 2004 vol 416 cc455-6W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action he will take to increase access to anti-retro viral drugs for HIV positive people in the African pandemic area. [145160]

Hilary Benn

DFID is committed to working with others, including our donor partners, the pharmaceutical industry, investors, developing country governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve access to medicines in developing countries, including for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

With the World Health Organisation, DFID believes that affordable pricing, sustainable financing, reliable health and supply systems, and the rational selection and use of existing drugs are all essential to improve access to medicines.

In line with this, DFID has committed over £1.5 billion since May 1997 to support the strengthening of health and supply systems in developing countries, which will help to build capacity to deliver medicines to the poor and to make effective choices about the selection of drugs. The UK has also pledged £280 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). This will help strengthen health system capacity to deliver effective and affordable prevention, treatment, care and support programmes, based on locally determined needs and building upon countries own national priorities. According to UNAIDS, the UK is the second largest bilateral donor for HIV/AIDS programmes.

DFID supports a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment and care and alleviation of the impact of AIDS. We welcome recent reductions in the price of both patent and generic anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV. These reductions have created new opportunities to allow poor people to benefit from the same life-saving treatment that has been available in affluent countries. We will continue to work with the WHO, the patent based and generic pharmaceutical industries and others to further reduce prices. DFID supports the target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS for three million people receiving treatment by the end of 2005. A new policy on treatment and care, to be launched early next year, will set out how DFID will co-ordinate work with partners to promote anti-retroviral treatment for poor people and for women.