Policy Sections
Mini Sections
Sir,
Concerning 'EU has no real HIV/AIDS strategy for neighbouring countries', around 2.4 million people are living with HIV in Europe as a whole and, with around 300,000 more becoming infected with the HIV each year, the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues.
While the epidemic is almost under control within the EU, the situation in eastern Europe and central Asia, especially in the EU neighbours, is a matter of serious concern.
The EU has made meaningful and significant efforts to help countries in the European region develop their response to the HIV epidemic. However, a number of issues are jeopardising the response. There are areas in which the EU - in close collaboration with its partners, including UNAIDS, WHO and the Global Fund- could do better and more:
Firstly, there is a need to further enhance the role of the HIV/AIDS Task Force
, which brings together representatives of governments and civil society both from EU member states and the neighbouring countries. This advisory body could help the EU further to develop its HIV/AIDS policy in neighbouring countries.
Secondly, the EU could be more actively involved in advocating at country level the approaches and principles accepted within its member states, and HIV/AIDS should become more systematically part of the policy dialogue between the EU and its neighbours. The involvement of civil society in the planning, implementation and evaluation of HIV/AIDS policies and programmes, the promotion of individual and civil rights, universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care and evidence-based interventions such as harm reduction for injecting drug users, and the reduction of stigma and discrimination of populations most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transexual persons should be considered a minimum standard of responses to the epidemic.
Thirdly, funding for addressing HIV/AIDS should be both increased and diversified and made more predictable. The risk of funds shifting away from EU neighbours is real and needs to be mitigated. It seems unlikely that the EC can earmark for neighbouring countries a part of its contribution to the Global Fund. A specific neighbourhood action plan on HIV/AIDS should indeed be considered. Last but not least, placing Health and HIV/AIDS higher in action plans and national programmes will be indispensable.
Dr Gudjon Magnusson
Director, Division of Health Programmes
Regional Office for Europe
World Health Organization
Copenhagen, Denmark
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
France
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Turkey
Del.icio.us
Digg It
Technorati
Europeans challenge Europe