Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-14-Speech-2-313"
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"en.20061114.37.2-313"2
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".
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, on the subject of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the Commission has been supporting the activities implemented by national and provincial health ministries since 1994. A number of non-governmental organisations have also received direct aid from the European Reconstruction and Development Programme and/or from the budget heading for poverty-related diseases. These activities have, by and large, achieved the results targeted by the various projects. Nevertheless, their sustainability, particularly in the social sectors, is a cause for concern due to the ongoing costs they involve.
Two operations with the health ministries are currently benefiting from funding from the indicative programme. First, there are the partnerships for the provision of primary health care, including for HIV/AIDS, which have received EUR 25 million: this programme establishes partnerships between the NGOs and five of the nine provincial health ministries. The NGOs fund scholarships and provide appropriate training to untrained or poorly trained healthcare workers. These healthcare workers give basic care relating to AIDS treatment to patients who previously did not have access to such care. There are currently 187 000 patients receiving care from 5000 providers, and these numbers will increase considerably once the new programme, to which EUR 45 million have been allocated, comes into operation in 2007.
The second programme comprises support for the South African Government's Comprehensive HIV/Aids Care Management and Treatment Plan, amounting to EUR 25 million. This programme was approved by the Commission in December 2004. It aims to support the implementation of this anti-AIDS plan, particularly with regard to human resources planning, marketing authorisations for drugs, funding for care and health promotion activities.
There is also a programme targeting HIV/AIDS in the field of education – the programme on AIDS in higher education, HEAIDS – which has received EUR 20 million. This programme follows up on a project funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID) and Ireland. It aims to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in an age group that is particularly badly affected and is showing signs of lapsing into old behaviour patterns, as well as in the higher education community in general.
A regional HIV/AIDS awareness and education programme – which has received Community funding of EUR 10 million, in addition to EUR 20 million provided by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland – was approved by the Commission in 2002. It is being implemented by Soul City, a South-African NGO. For the last 14 years, Soul City has been receiving considerable aid from the European Community to develop its 'edutainment' – education and entertainment – approach, which involves the use of TV and radio soaps, backed up by leaflets and other documents in a wide range of languages, providing more detailed information on the subjects covered in the broadcasts. This programme covers not South Africa, but eight neighbouring countries. Although its activities in recent years have produced excellent results, it must nevertheless be noted that this programme is facing administrative problems connected to its cross-border nature and to the fact that it is supported by a number of different sources of funding.
Alongside the programmes funded by the regional development programme, six projects funded to the tune of around EUR 10 million by various budget headings are currently being implemented in South Africa. All of them have objectives relating to the fight against AIDS. One project worth mentioning is a vaccine research project linking research institutes in South Africa and Europe.
In terms of the use and availability of drugs, the Commission does not have a specific programme in South Africa to promote the use of generic drugs, but it does support the measures taken by the South African health department to rationalise and improve legislation on medicinal products. It should be remembered that the problem is very often not a lack of availability of anti-retroviral drugs, but the reluctance of patients to be examined and treated, together with lack of access to healthcare equipment and staff, particularly pharmacists to see patients and advise them before they start treatment."@en1
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