MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Smith
Today I signed a partnership agreement with UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS, committing Australia to provide $25 million to UNAIDS over four years to help combat the spread of HIV in developing countries.
This is an increase in Australia's annual total contribution to UNAIDS of more than 50 per cent from last year.
UNAIDS has led the way in getting HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to those who need it.
HIV is a serious threat to health and development: around five million people with HIV are living in our region, the Asia Pacific.
HIV/AIDS is a growing burden. Unless we maintain and improve our efforts with affected countries, AIDS will require even more hospital beds and see an increase in the number of deaths and AIDS orphans. This epidemic also has a dramatic impact at the household level in the Asia-Pacific pushing families into poverty.
Australia is a major funder of UNAIDS' work in the Asia Pacific region. This particular agreement extends that commitment. It also assists UNAIDS to perform its global role, particularly in the badly affected countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
The partnership agreement for funding UNAIDS has been effected under the Government's $200 million United Nations Partnership for the Millennium Development Goals, announced in the 2008 budget.
Partnership agreements have also been signed with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).