Changes to the UK Government’s strategy to tackle HIV in the developing world have received a mixed reaction from Tearfund.
While welcoming the Department for International Development’s (DFID) announcement of £200 million for social protection programmes to improve health, nutrition and education for orphans and vulnerable children, there are worries about its overall financial commitments to HIV.
Tearfund is concerned by the apparent decline in funding for HIV and disappointed by the UK’s decision to abandon the earmarked funding for children affected by HIV.
The government’s plans were set out this week with the publication of its updated strategy called ‘Achieving Universal Access – the UK’s strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world’.
Tearfund believes social protection is only part of a comprehensive response to children affected by HIV.
Concrete action
Children living with HIV remain at a higher risk of mortality than adults.
A report released yesterday by the World Health Organisation states that HIV has been the leading cause of death in children under five in six countries in southern Africa.
It is not clear from the strategy on how DFID will support the development and delivery of infant diagnostics and medicines for children living with or exposed to HIV in poor communities.
Tearfund is calling for `concrete action’ on the increased availability of an affordable antibiotic called co-trimoxazole for children.
Tearfund welcomes the affirmation of the distinctive role and contribution of faith-based groups and DFID’s commitment to track the amount of funding reaching local community responses to HIV.
Whilst Tearfund welcomes the commitments in the new strategy on children, the strengthening of health systems and the vital contribution of civil society, the acid test for the UK Government is how these promises and actions will be translated into life saving outcomes for individuals, families and communities affected by HIV.