Alliance urges action to close the HIV services gap

17 November 2006

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance has urged action on the global HIV services gap at a recent session of the UK’s International Development Committee (IDC) held in November. A global HIV services gap currently exists which sees 95% of injecting drug users, 89% of men who have sex with men, and 84% of sex workers without access to basic HIV services.

G8 and UN Member State commitments to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 will not be achieved unless services are delivered to marginalised and vulnerable populations, such as sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men.

Alliance senior policy adviser Joseph O’Reilly told the committee that “global commitments to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support mark a significant development in global AIDS policy. However, so far we have seen little or no attention to the needs of marginalised populations in national planning for universal access.”

At the IDC session the Alliance urged:

  • the UK to sponsor a resolution for the creation of a Special Rapporteur on HIV and Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council;
  • the International Development Committee to convene an international meeting to begin the process of developing an International HIV and Human Rights Action Plan; and
  • the UK Government to appoint a Special Representative for Sexual Minority Rights.

The International Development Committee’s session looked at the UK’s progress in delivering HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services to marginalised populations and the extent to which policy and programming is effectively addressing newer epidemics in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America.

The Alliance also highlighted:

  • Without a sea change in approaches to reducing the vulnerability of marginalised populations and addressing human rights violations against these groups, universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support will not be realised.
  • Support for AIDS programming from donors must be flexible enough to respond to diversity in the nature of different epidemics. Donors must guard against avoiding funding work that is politically sensitive or ideologically bound.

The Alliance’s submission is available at www.aidsalliance.org/IDC