Summary: April 27, 2005: Commission strengthens its support to confront HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis outside the EU (Brussels)
FR - DE
The European Commission adopted today a Programme for Action to strengthen Europe's support to confront HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis outside the EU's borders. It proposes a menu of concrete actions to address the dramatic situation, with over 6 million people dying every year. The initiative follows the promise made by Commissioner Louis Michel, in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid, to do better, do more and quicker in delivering on the Millennium Development Goals
(MDG).
Commissioner Michel stressed: "HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB are the main killer-diseases in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and are also a major obstacle for development. The Programme for Action which the Commission adopted today is the basis for a continued, coherent and strong European response to this global threat. It is part of the Union's joint response to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis and yet another step to reach the Millennium Development Goals."
The Commission proposes a series of concrete and cheap but effective activities such as the distribution of free bed-nets and contraceptives, as well as free access to voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS. Together with global partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the action programme intends to strengthen regional networks to promote affordable and safe pharmaceutical products, to strengthen the regulatory capacity in partner countries and to support further
research.
At country-level, the Programme for Action proposes to launch a political dialogue on issues of stigmata, discrimination and human rights and addresses the particular concerns of vulnerable groups, such as orphans and children. It furthermore emphasises capacity building in human resources and promotes clinical research and strengthening pharmaceutical and procurement policy. The Communication equally suggests synergies with related programmes on e.g. sexual and reproductive health and on human
security issues such as safe schools.
The new Programme for Action responds to Council conclusions on harmonisation of activities in this matter between the Community and Member States and to a request by the Council to translate a policy framework of November 2004 on confronting HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis (COM 2004/726) into action. The Programme for Action will be discussed by GAERC at the end of May.
Background
The Community alone contributes currently €239.02 million/year (annual average 2003-2006) to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. This includes a substantial contribution to the UN's Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), to which the EC is currently the second largest individual donor. Some of the actions proposed in the programme adopted today require new resources. The Communication consequently suggests the Union, in the framework of the budgetary discussions 2007-2013,
to agree on a considerable contribution to help filling the financing gap on these three killer diseases, evaluated by the UN at
US$14.9 billion/year by 2007.
For further information:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/human_social/pol_health3_en.htm
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