Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-05-Speech-2-075"
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"en.19991005.4.2-075"2
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"Mr President, the HIV epidemic so far has very often been described primarily as a health-related problem. Indeed the health implications are serious. In less than two decades, a very short time in the world of infectious diseases, AIDS has become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. But the implications of this epidemic go far beyond the health sector. The loss of young men and women in the prime of their lives is devastating as regards economic development and productivity, education, agriculture and a whole host of socio-economic spheres. Hard-won gains in terms of development are being eroded and even reversed as a consequence of this epidemic. Reference has already been made in this debate to the demographic consequences. Countries where the population grew by 3% or more just a few years ago will experience negative growth. If a comparison is allowed, I believe that what several countries in sub-Saharan Africa are going through is something similar to the Black Death in 14th century Europe.
Mr Nielson referred to the response so far. There have been efforts at international level, I agree, but far too limited. I welcome Mr Nielson’s suggestions for the budget to be topped up, but more has to come. What is needed in the first instance is more money and support in terms of financial resources. Here the international community can do a lot. Then we have to bring about – and this is primarily the responsibility of the countries concerned – more openness. The whole area of HIV prevention has been surrounded by too much silence. There has even been a stigma attached to it. In such an environment prevention through education is difficult. In such an environment people are discouraged from seeking testing and counselling.
Let us hope that the recent conference in Lusaka represents a turning point. What is needed in the future is more funding, more concerted effort and more openness.
I have personally followed very closely efforts within the international community over the last couple of years to bring about a more concerted fight against HIV/AIDS. A joint programme, UNAIDS, was established a few years ago. It has done some good things, but efforts within that programme have been undermined by shrinking budgets within the UN system.
It is my absolute conviction that the European Union has to take a much stronger lead in international efforts in terms of AIDS and HIV prevention. Our aid budget is considerable. We ought to allocate a gradually bigger share of that budget in support of HIV prevention. If we are serious about development we have to do this. Otherwise all our other efforts in the area of development will be very much in vain.
I have four specific questions to ask the new Commissioner. Firstly, are you willing to work hard to ensure that a permanent increase in the Union budget will be allocated for HIV prevention? Secondly, are you willing to make sure that whatever the European Union does in this field is well coordinated with other donors? In few areas, I believe, are coordination and cooperation more necessary than here. Thirdly, are you willing to make sure that efforts go beyond the health sector, realising that the socio-economic and developmental consequences are so serious? Last but not least, are you willing to seek partnership with the pharmaceutical companies, on the one hand, to speed up work to try to develop a vaccine and, secondly, to make medicines more accessible to the poor of this world?"@en1
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"Wijkman (PPE )."1
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