Select Committee ReportsMarch 2010The Government’s Response to the International Development Committee Inquiry on HIV/AIDS We were delighted that in this report the Government agreed to some of the measures called for by the APPG on HIV and AIDS. From now on the agenda and minutes of the Cross-Whitehall Working Group on HIV/AIDS will be made public. The skeleton of a strategy for the FCOs response to HIV in middle income countries is also beginning to appear – something which we have long pushed for. The Government re-stated its commitment to lowering the price of ARVs and its support for the patent pool – both important themes of our Treatment Timebomb report. The Government also rejects the Committee’s opinion that there are no mechanisms to track the impact of £6bn health spending commitment, in areas where the money is aggregated with other donors (for example money channelled through the World Bank). December 2009IDC Inquiry on AIDS: The International Development Committee has called for greater clarity in DFID's spending plans on HIV and AIDS. In a report released on World AIDS Day they said: "We remain seriously concerned, however, that DFID has no mechanisms in place to track the impact which its £6 billion funding for health systems will have specifically on HIV/AIDS care, despite this being one of the key elements of its Strategy." The report continues "We reject DFID’s assertion that it is not “feasible, practical or desirable” to specify how its £6 billion in health systems funding will be allocated. We recommend that, in response to this Report, the Department provide us with a meaningful breakdown of its spending plans for this funding package, at least over the next two to three years, including an indication of how HIV/AIDS programmes are likely to benefit." The report refers to the APPG's Treatment Timebomb report into access to anti-retroviral treatment in the developing world and recognises the challenge of providing second-line treatments. It calls on DFID to expand access programmes and commends DFID's work with UNITAID on patent pools. |
