UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years246An increase in funding for the AIDS responseWhat has the political commitment meant in practice? First and perhaps foremost, it hasled to the massive increase in funding for AIDS. Between 1996 and 2007, finance for HIVprogrammes in low- and middle-income countries increased more than 30-fold, from lessthan US$ 300 million in 1996 to US$ 8.9 billion. As The Economist wrote: ‘Although otherfactors were involved, it doesn’t take an over-generous interpretation of history to allow thatUNGASS played a large part in bringing about the changes behind the better news …Therate at which money has been made available for AIDS (from all sources including inflictedcountries as well as taxpayers of the rich world) underwent a step change in 2001’ 7 .In India, the Tata SteelCompany has pioneeredHIV preventionprogrammes includingstreet theatre for itsemployees as well astruckdrivers and othercommunitiesPanos/Helder NetocnyIndeed, as Piot pointed out, it was a rare example of a promise made by the General Assemblyactually being honoured. The pledge was to find between US$ 7 and US$ 10 billion by 2005,and what turned up in 2005 was US$ 8.3 billion, squarely in the middle of the range.Many developing countries have increased their own domestic funding on AIDS programmes,despite their limited resources; about a third of current spending on AIDS comes from nationalbudgets and private payments in these countries 8 . The remaining two thirds have come frombilateral donors and multilateral institutions. In just over three years, the Global Fund to FightAIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria disbursed US$ 2.26 billion to grant recipients 9 .A major donor is the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which by2007 had disbursed a total of US$ 8.4 billion and accounts for roughly half of all bilateralspending on AIDS. PEPFAR depends on UNAIDS data and policy arguments for its work.And as The Economist argued: ‘… it is hard to believe that Mr Bush would have done whathe did without the prompting of events that began with UNGASS’ 10 .7‘Unhappy anniversary’. The Economist, 3 June 2007.8UNAIDS (2007). Global Report 2007. Geneva, UNAIDS.9The Global Fund (2007). Investing in Impact: Mid-year Results Report 2007. Geneva, UNAIDS.10‘Unhappy anniversary’. The Economist, 3 June 2007.