Summary: October 29, 2004: European Commission to strengthen its efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis (Brussels)
The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive policy framework to strengthen its efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. The strategy confirms poverty reduction as the overall focus of its efforts. For the first time it also proposes to address these three diseases in the context of human rights and human security. Furthermore it proposes a coherent response to the three diseases across all of its external relations. The European Commission has allocated
over € 1,1 billion to fight the three diseases from 2003 - 2006.
European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, stressed: "During the last five years this Commission has been busy attacking HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB from all possible perspectives be it development, trade, research or health. With the adoption of the new policy framework the Commission is well placed to remain at the forefront of the fight against these three killer diseases".
Worldwide an estimated 6 million people die from HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB every year, the nature and spread of the diseases is changing and the financing gap remains. In order to respond to these new challenges and building upon the lessons learned from its earlier Programme of Action the Commission has adopted a comprehensive policy framework that covers all implicated areas, including trade, development, research, health and external relations.
The focus of the new strategy remains poverty reduction. HIV/Aids, TB and malaria are both a consequence of, and a cause of, poverty. However for the first time the EC sets these diseases against other policy frameworks: (i) human rights are addressed as there is a clear need to avoid further marginalisation and stigmatisation of high risk groups; (ii) the implications for human security are also considered as HIV/AIDS in particular is decimating communities and destroying social cohesion; and
(iii) a coherent response to the three diseases is formulated across all its external actions (i.e. moving beyond a purely development focus).
While confirming the approach already taken, the new strategy also identifies a number of new areas where actions need to be taken; (i) increasing health related capacity in national development plans; (ii) enhancing the regulatory capacity of third countries including the their ability to approve clinical trials and grant market authorisations; (iii) promoting investment in the local production of pharmaceutical products in third countries: for example for insecticide-treated bed-nets or
combination therapies for malaria; (iv) further reducing prices of pharmaceutical products by working further on the issues of tiered pricing, price transparency, and competition; and (v) continuing work to support the research and development of new tools and interventions such as vaccines and microbicides.
Background
In 2001 the Commission adopted a Programme for Action on confronting HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB in developing countries. This Programme has been successful in focussing EU actions in these areas. More than € 1,1 billion has been allocated to fight the three diseases from 2003 - 2006 (a four fold increase compared to the allocations in the period 1996 - 2002 ) which has made it possible to realise significant achievements over the last 4 years. The price of anti-retrovirals to treat people living
with HIV/AIDS in developing countries has been reduced by up to 98%. And research has accelerated into new tools and interventions such as microbicides and vaccines against malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS.
For further information, please see:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/human_social/pol_health1_en.htm
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