22 July 2010
The UK Government’s funding to tackle the AIDS pandemic was graded a C+ today, in a report card scoring donor governments’ efforts to tackle the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Austria was awarded the lowest grade – an F – for failing to contribute anything to the Global Fund, despite being a high income country and host of this week’s international AIDS conference in Vienna.
Sweden and Norway topped the report card, receiving an A grade. The United States fared marginally worse than the UK, with a C grade.
The UK has received a C+ grade in the HIV funding rankings. Photo: Abby King/Tearfund
The Country Donor Report Cards were prepared in the run up to the next replenishment of the Global Fund in October this year. Donors pledged US$10 billion to the Global Fund over the last three years.
However, an estimated additional US$20 billion is required to implement Global Fund programmes from 2011-2013.
The question of future funding to tackle the pandemic, which is threatened by the global economic crisis, has clouded discussions in Vienna this week.
Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, speaking in Vienna on Monday, said, 'We have to recognise that these are tough times for all of us who are passionate about the cause. Economic turbulence has driven up government deficits and some countries have responded by freezing or even reducing their investments in global health.'
Kola Akinola, Tearfund’s Senior HIV Policy Officer, says, 'Lives are being saved daily thanks to the vital work made possible by resources from the Global Fund. Failure to fully replenish the Global Fund will jeopardise these efforts which keeps millions of men, women and children alive today.'
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is one of the main sources of finance for programmes to tackle HIV and AIDS worldwide. The Global Fund provides antiretroviral treatment to 2.8 million people living with HIV.
The Country Donor Report Cards are produced by a coalition of civil society organisations, including the UK’s Stop AIDS Campaign, of which Tearfund is a part.