Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS Jeopardising Progress: Impact of the UK Government's aid cuts on HIV/AIDS worldwide, published on 21 September 2021; and what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the Overseas Development Assistance target spending reduction on efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The All-Party Parliamentary Group Report outlines the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global HIV/AIDS response based on surveys conducted by the Global Fund. The report highlights the support to the global HIV/AIDS through UK investments but does not attempt to attribute changes in global progress to UK funding levels. The report makes four recommendations for UK consideration, including making supplementary allocations to organisations working on the HIV response, community-led responses and research and development. The UK remains committed to addressing HIV and AIDS through our development programming. This currently includes our funding of £1.4 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and funding for UNAIDS, Unitaid and the Robert Carr Fund. Future funding, beyond our current commitments, will be determined as part of departmental business planning in line with departmental allocations announced in last year's Spending Review and guided by the approaches set out in the Health Systems Strengthening Position Paper and Ending Preventable Deaths approach.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to accelerate progress to deliver on the UN 2021 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK remains committed to addressing HIV and AIDS through our development programming. This currently includes our funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, for UNAIDS, Unitaid and the Robert Carr Fund. These UK investments help countries to implement actions under the political declaration to prevent new HIV infections and stop AIDS related deaths. This June, the UK will host the Safe To Be Me conference in London. One of the key aims will be ensuring inclusive access to healthcare for LGBT+ people. The conference will bring together governments, businesses, civil society and international parliamentarians from around the world to share lessons and agree plans for action.
Asked by: Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether continued close partnership with UNAIDS will play a role in their planned international development and global health strategies; and if so, how such a partnership would operate.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK remains committed to a strong UNAIDS and we are fully engaged in the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board which recently agreed the new Global Aids Strategy 2021-2026. Our partnership with UNAIDS contributes to our goal to end preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children and to ensuring access to services for marginalised and vulnerable groups. Future funding to UNAIDS, beyond our current commitments, will be determined as part of departmental business planning in line with departmental allocations announced in last year's Spending Review.