Memorandum submitted by the Department
for International Development
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. DFID welcomes the IDC's annual review
of Government progress in tackling HIV and AIDS and particularly
appreciates this year's focus on the newly published UK Strategy,
"Achieving Universal Access- the UK's strategy for halting
and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world".
Although less than three months have passed since the launch of
the updated UK AIDS strategy on 2 June 2008, the inquiry provides
an opportunity to reflect on the statements and commitments made
within the strategy and to further consider action towards its
implementation.
2. In 2004, the UK Government launched "Taking
Action, the UK strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in developing
countries". This set out our commitment to lead the global
response to AIDS through promoting the needs and rights of those
most affected by the epidemic, increasing funding, strengthening
political leadership, and supporting international and national
responses. This year's updated UK AIDS strategy follows a detailed
independent evaluation of Taking Action and wide consultation.
It builds on the successes and original thrust of Taking Action
to focus on addressing the latest challenges if Universal
Access (UA) is to be achieved. The updated Strategy makes comprehensive
prevention a priority recognising that it is only through effective
prevention can we hope to minimise the impact of the disease decades
from now.
3. The UK AIDS Strategy was launched in
conjunction with an evidence paper entitled "Achieving
Universal Access—evidence for action". This document
summarises recent evidence and key issues underlying the policy
decisions and commitments made in the updated strategy. The evidence
paper is based on a robust summary of latest global evidence and
on the findings of a series of experts' papers commissioned by
DFID as part of the Strategy development process. The evidence
paper is formatted in such a way as to link with the chapters
of the Strategy document for ease of reference and to demonstrate
the evidence base for each of the themes, actions and commitments
in the Strategy. Given the short timeframe since its publication
and launch, the evidence paper is likely to be an important resource
for the IDC for this inquiry. In our responses in this memorandum,
we anticipate that the committee has had the opportunity to read
both the evidence paper and the updated strategy.
4. The UK AIDS Strategy sets out the Government's
commitment to achieving the goal of Universal Access (UA) to comprehensive
HIV prevention programmes, treatment, and care and Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) 6. It also sets out the commitments required
to accelerate progress towards building a long-term, sustainable
response.
5. The focus of this IDC inquiry, on the
disproportionate impact of AIDS on women and children and the
interaction of AIDS with other diseases, is welcome. The evidence
we provide in this memorandum demonstrates that the updated strategy
places the needs and rights of vulnerable groups including women,
orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) at its heart and makes
clear that underlying drivers of the epidemic, including gender
inequality, need to be addressed. It emphasises that universal
access to comprehensive HIV prevention programmes, treatment,
care and support must meet the needs of all—including women,
children and vulnerable groups. It outlines action the UK will
take to support effective service delivery, supporting an integrated
approach to AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria and to sexual
and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including maternal,
newborn and child health services (MNCH).
6. In addition, the evidence we provide
in this memorandum emphasises the significant role civil society
in the UK and overseas has played in developing the updated strategy
and provides information on the valuable role of civil society
in implementing the strategy and in monitoring progress.
7. Last year, as a global leader in the
fight against AIDS, the UK announced funding of up to £1
billion for the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria up to 2015.
Now, the UK has made another bold and ambitious step by announcing
in the updated strategy, an additional long-term commitment to
spend £6 billion to strengthen health systems and services
up to 2015. This is based upon the fact that a stronger health
system is critical to tackling AIDS. The IDC's decision to probe
the rationale for this decision is welcome. The health spending
target is however only one of our commitments. Throughout the
strategy we highlight the multi-sectoral nature of the disease
and the strategy includes a commitment to spend £200 million
over three years on social protection programmes, to reach families,
and orphans and other vulnerable children most affected by the
epidemic. It also stresses the importance of partnerships, co-ordinated
action and country led approaches. It commits us to supporting
UNAIDS to lead and coordinate the global response to AIDS and
to advocate for the needs of marginalised and vulnerable groups.
8. Finally, we welcome the IDC's interest
in monitoring systems to ensure funding reaches the local level
and in measuring the impact of funding for health service strengthening.
These are complex issues and we share the IDC's interest in monitoring
and evaluation and in ensuring that new and existing resources
have the greatest impact. We provide evidence of our desire to
focus on results and outcomes and we outline our progress with
the monitoring and evaluation framework that is due to be finalised
in the autumn. We also highlight the independent review we will
commission to examine the implementation of the strategy in three
years time.
ACRONYMS
| AIDS | Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
|
| AMREF | African Medical and Research Foundation
|
| ARVs | Anti-retroviral Treatment
|
| CARHAP | Central Asia HIV and AIDS Programme
|
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer
|
| CSCF | Civil Society Challenge Fund
|
| CSO | Civil Society Organisations
|
| DAC | Development Assistance Committee
|
| DFID | Department for International Development
|
| DPFs | Divisional Performance Frameworks
|
| DSO | Department's Strategic Objectives
|
| DRC | Democratic Republic of Congo
|
| GAMET | Global AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Team
|
| GFATM | Global Fund for AIDS, TB, Malaria
|
| GPRHCS | Global Programme to Enhance Reproductive Health Commodity Security
|
| GTF | Governance and Transparency Fund
|
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus
|
| HNPSP | Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Programme
|
| IDC | International Development Committee
|
| IDU | Injecting Drug User |
| IHP | International Health Partnership
|
| IMCI | Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses
|
| IMCA | Integrated Management of Adult Illnesses
|
| IPPF | International Planned Parenthood Federation
|
| M&E | Monitoring and Evaluation
|
| MDG | Millennium Development Goal
|
| MoE | Ministry of Education
|
| MNCH | Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
|
| MSM | Men who have Sex with Men
|
| NASA | National AIDS Spending Assessment
|
| NGOs | Non-Governmental Organisations
|
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
|
| OVC | Orphans and Vulnerable Children
|
| PEPFAR | US President's Emergency Program for AIDS
|
| PLWHA | People Living With HIV/AIDS
|
| PMTCT | Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission
|
| PPA | Programme Partnership Agreements
|
| PSA | Public Service Agreement
|
| RAP | Results Action Plan |
| RFE | Rapid Funding Envelope
|
| SRHR | Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights
|
| STI's | Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
|
| TACAIDS | Tanzania Commission for AIDS
|
| TB | Tuberculosis |
| UA | Universal Access |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNAIDS | Joint United Nation Programme on HIV/AIDS
|
| UNFPA | United Nations Population Fund
|
| UNGASS | United Nations General Assembly Special Session
|
| UNICEF | United Nations Children's Fund
|
| UNITAID | An international drug purchase facility
|
| UPHCP | Urban Primary Health Care Programme
|
| WHO | World Health Organisation
|
| ZAC | Zanzibar AIDS Commission
|
| |
|
