MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
On World AIDS Day I am pleased to announce further initiatives by the
Australian Government to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in developing countries in
our region.
I have approved funding guidelines for research projects under the aid
program to help developing countries better assess HIV/AIDS treatment
options.
We also will fund five new high quality projects by Australian NGOs under the
Burma Health Program as part of the UN Joint Plan of Action on HIV/AIDS for
Burma. This will bring the total Australian contribution for HIV/AIDS projects
in Burma to $6.5 million over four years.
The observance of World AIDS Day is an opportunity to take stock of the
global HIV/AIDS epidemic and how we are responding to it. The Australian
Government is seriously concerned that the worst is yet to come in the Asia
Pacific Region.
The latest report by the UNAIDS, released last week, confirms that the
epidemic is still in its early stages in Asia and the Pacific. UNAIDS predicts
that over the next eight years 40 per cent of the world's new infections will
occur in our own region.
More than seven million people in the region have HIV/AIDS, one million more
than a year ago. A number of countries, including China and India, are
experiencing serious increases in HIV infections.
Australia was one of the first donors to recognise the enormity of the
problem for developing countries, and to take action. In the Pacific, Australia
is the largest bilateral donor working on HIV/AIDS programs, and in South East
Asia we rank second only to the United States.
In 2000 I announced the Australian Government's global AIDS initiative worth
$200 million over six years. This year we will spend an estimated $32 million on
responses to the epidemic overseas.
The role of leadership is critical to enable an effective response from
countries in our region. Australia has taken a leading role internationally,
such as through the UN's Special Session on HIV/AIDS in 2001. Last year
Australia hosted the first regional meeting of Ministers to specifically discuss
HIV/AIDS.
Australia also is providing seed funding for the Asia Pacific Leadership
Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development. We also are tackling sensitive issues such as
programs that focus on injecting drug use, which is a major mode of HIV
transmission in many Asian countries.
Media contacts:
Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 or 0419 206 890
Jo Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 or 0412 804 489