AIDS

Lord Fowler Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Fowler]

To ask His Majesty’s Government, in the light of World Aids Day 2025, when they estimate that the goal of eliminating AIDS as a public health threat will be reached.

[The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Chapman of Darlington) (Lab)]

My Lords, the global response to HIV and AIDS has seen outstanding achievements, with infections up to 40% lower globally than in 2010. But, despite this, our work is not done. The UK Government remain firmly committed to eliminating AIDS as a public health threat, and we are proud to continue our support to the organisations at the forefront of the HIV response, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, whose eighth replenishment we co-hosted, alongside South Africa and UNAIDS.

[Lord Fowler (CB)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Today on World AIDS Day, we acknowledge the radical reduction that there has been in deaths from AIDS over past years, with deaths reducing worldwide from 1.4 million a year in 2010 to the present total of around 630,000. I hope that we will also acknowledge the terrible irony that, in spite of this success and in spite of the breakthrough with new drugs, nations, led regrettably by the United States but including others such as Britain, are cutting their overseas budgets. Surely, we will not be forgiven if we reject the exceptional opportunity we have now to eradicate AIDS as a public health threat as quickly as humanly possible.

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We would not be forgiven, but that is not what we are doing. We are now the third-biggest contributor to the Global Fund, which is the world’s leading mechanism for fighting AIDS, TB and malaria, and we have continued to fund UNAIDS. We work through Unitaid and with the Robert Carr Fund. The UK is doing everything that it can, internationally and domestically, to fight HIV and AIDS. We must not forget the work that we are doing to fight against the rollback of LGBT rights, the absence of which does so much harm to prevention and promotes the stigmatisation that leads to people being unable to access their treatment. I respect the incredible work that the noble Lord has done over very many years and I look forward to continuing to be held to account by him on this vital issue.