July 2007
Aditi Sharma
Heiligendamm, Germany
WHY are AIDS and public health activists crying foul at the G8's generous pledge of $60 billion to fight diseases such as AIDS, TB and malaria? Leaders of the eight richest countries meeting in the German seaside resort of Heiligendamm from June 6 to 8, seemed to give considerable thought to the infectious diseases that claim more than six million lives every year and are devastating communities and economies, particularly in Africa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who chaired the summit, accorded a prominent place to Africa and AIDS on the official agenda even though the leaders had assembled to mainly discuss ways to promote growth and stability in the world economy. The officials drafting the final declaration churned out a number of paragraphs on HIV/AIDS and even generated an eye- atching 60-billion-dollar headline on the last day of the summit. Campaigners had wanted the summit to commit additional resources and deliver a long-term comprehensive plan to fight AIDS. They came to Germany to remind the G8 of their past pledges, in particular, those made at the 2005 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. That summit had raised all round expectations about progress in the war against AIDS.
The Gleneagles summit notably introduced
a commitment to universal
access to HIV treatment, prevention
and care by 2010. Two years on the war
chest to fight AIDS remains $10 billion
short per year and activists around the
world are calling for new funds and real
action from the richest nations. They
issued this message through their
protests and rallies in several countries
during the Global AIDS Week at the end
of May.
Warships and steel fences ensured
that the G8 leaders were not disturbed
by activists and their demands. But although protestors did not succeed in
reaching the Heiligendamm venue, the
world's media made sure that the leaders
in the meeting knew of their presence
outside.
NEW MONEY FOR HIV/AIDS?
The final G8 declaration on 8 June recognised that "substantial resources" were required in order to meet universal access and the millennium development goals and strengthen health systems."We will continue our efforts towards these goals (fighting diseases and strengthening health systems) with at least a projected 60 billion dollars over the coming years..." read the declaration. While the announcement of 60 billion dollars was designed to impress, the declaration is silent on the specifics such as time-frame, what it oversand how much is new money. The real value of this promise is thus not easy to assess and campaigners were left calculating the projected gains overnight. We now know that "coming years" means five years to the US, eight years to Germany and ten to Italy. Some estimate that there is no new or additional money on offer. Even the most optimistic estimate pegs the new funds promised by the G8 at approximately three billion dollars by 2010 – a bit less dramatic than the 60 billion dollars! Whatever additional money this latest promise delivers, it does not begin to address urgent requirements. Global resources needed for all three diseases – AIDS, TB and malaria – is over $30 billion in 2008. An additional $27 billion is needed now for investment in health systems.
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF WOMEN
In the lead up to the summit, the German Chancellor and her Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek- Zeul made special mention of the need to tackle the feminisation of the AIDS pandemic. The final declaration while lacking in specific financial commitments did make many references to this. For example, the need to"support a gender sensitive response" and for"greater attention and appropriate resources" from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB andmalaria to "address the needs of women and girls". The leaders also reiterated the goal of "providing universal coverage of PMTCT" (preventing mother to child transmission of HIV through anti-etroviral drugs). The G8 leaders agreed to "promote knowledge about sexuality and reproductive health" and support "concerted efforts tostop sexual exploitation and gender-based violence".
PATENTS VS PUBLIC HEALTH
The G8 leaders did not have the fight against HIV/AIDS in mind when they reiterated their determination to strengthen intellectual property rights. This only denies access to affordable drugs. Despite recognising the "challenge surrounding access to medicines" they stopped short of explicitly supporting the right of developing countries to undertake measures such as issuing of compulsory licences to manufacture or import safe, affordable genericdrugs. However, the five leaders of emerging economies – India, China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa – who were invited for the last day did win a concession with a change to the final text that includes mention of the need to address public health.
RETREAT FROM UNIVERSAL ACCESS
The biggest let down of the summit however was the erosion of the commitment to provide universal access to HIV treatment by 2010. Over two days G8 officials drafting the declaration wrangled about how many lives to save by debating the numberof people to support with life-saving anti-retroviraltreatment. In contrast to the specific UNAIDS target of reaching 9.8 million by theyear 2010, the G8 came up with a vague promise to reach approximately five million"over the next few years". Twenty four thousand people died of AIDS in the three days that G8 leaders met in Heiligendamm. Instead of taking action to save lives, the G8 leaders delivered a smokescreen of 60 million dollars to cover up their retreat on the promise to provide HIV treatment – not to some but to all those who need it. This is a huge betrayal of the 40 million people living with HIV around the world whose hopes were raised by the goal the G8 leaders set just two years ago.
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