May 2006:

STOP AIDS CAMPAIGN Meeting  

Hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS. 

The meeting was hosted by Elizabeth Blunt, former BBC correspondent for the BBC in West Africa. She worked in Africa during the late 70s and 80s and saw the epidemic unfold.

Speakers:

Dr. Nelson Musoba from Uganda and Health Provider of the year 2000.

Dr. Musoba put the epidemic in Uganda in context. How it started with a few fishermen who got the “slim-disease” to the role out of ABC programmes. ABC was originally proportionally advocated, however today Uganda is heavily advocating the Abstinence message with money from President Bush’s administration.

The 3 by 5 target has put 70,000 people on ARV. 150,000 are still in need of them.

Challenges for the future are encompassed in scaling-up problems:

Funding challenge;

Remuneration problems leading to a brain-drain;

Human resources

Neil Gerrard MP, Chair APPG AIDS (Labour):

Noted that there has been a great shift in interest both internationally and nationally in Parliament. MPs and Peers have started to take a real interest in HIV/AIDS.

The UK Government has done well in its commitment illustrated by the 2010 commitment at Gleneagles; the world leadership on AIDS work and strong commitments to the Global Fund and other multi-lateral and bi-lateral funding. The Government has also been successive in promoting long-term commitment on funding.

Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Minster on International Development (Conservative):

Said that the fight against AIDS is not a party-political issue and that the UK Government should be congratulated on its commitment and hard work. He said that David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party,  recently raised the question of  interim targets to be introduced as a measure to achieve the the 2010 target; and pricing on paediatric ARVs. Mitchell said that the Conservative Party will continue to lobby the Government to ensure that it puts pressure on other Governments to follow best practice approaches in the fight against AIDS.

Baroness Lindsay Northover, Liberal Democrat spokesperson in International Development in the House of Lords:

Baroness Northover told the audience that the nature of the AIDS catastrophe has still not been fully grasped. That the epidemic goes far beyond access to treatment and prevention work. The problems are rooted in power-structures which leave women and children very vulnerable. We need to fight to empower these groups and to also fight stigma and discrimination.

The STOP AIDS CAMPAIGN also showed two films:

The World is Watching

Stand Up, Speak Out!.