Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Anneliese Dodds and Paul Davies

Tuesday 25th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Paul Davies (Colne Valley) (Lab)]

2. What progress his Department has made on tackling HIV and AIDS globally.

[The Minister for Development (Anneliese Dodds)]

Investments in the Global Fund, Unitaid, UNAIDS—the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS—the World Health Organisation and others have helped to cut new HIV infections by 60% since 1995 and AIDS-related deaths by 69% since 2004. I was pleased to meet HIV-positive activists in Parliament recently and to be videoed while undertaking a quick and easy HIV test. Together, we can eradicate HIV/AIDS.

[Paul Davies]

The Minister is aware that PEPFAR—the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—is the largest and most successful global health programme and has saved 25 million lives. It has been advised that freezing PEPFAR will result in 228,000 fewer HIV tests being carried out daily. UNAIDS predicts that 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths will occur if PEPFAR lacks funding for the next five years. Can the Minister ensure that the Foreign Office includes HIV in all international discussions, especially at the G7 in Canada this year?

[Anneliese Dodds]

Tests and treatment are critical. I am pleased that the Prime Minister recently announced that, together with South Africa, the UK will co-host the eighth replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Global Fund is the leading financier of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and we will work with Canada to draw attention at the G7 to the importance of the Global Fund replenishment.