Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Robert Carr Fund in advancing human rights of inadequately served populations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is proud to be a long-term funder of the Robert Carr Fund (RCF), we consider it to be a very effective mechanism that supports the leadership, priorities and rights of some of the most marginalised people, in order to expand their access to the HIV, SRHR and health services they need.
Robert Carr is the world's leading international fund focused on funding global and regional networks led by, involving, and serving people who face a higher HIV risk than the general population, systematic human rights violations, and barriers to information and HIV and SRH services.
Working with community-led and grassroots organisations is key to achieving the targets in the Global AIDS Strategy. Our investment into the Robert Carr Fund, along with other organisations such as the Global Fund and UNAIDS, is important in helping countries to implement actions and make progress towards targets under the Strategy.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding the Robert Carr Fund to support the achievement of the targets in the UNAIDS Global AIDS Strategy 2024-27.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is proud to be a long-term funder of the Robert Carr Fund (RCF), we consider it to be a very effective mechanism that supports the leadership, priorities and rights of some of the most marginalised people, in order to expand their access to the HIV, SRHR and health services they need.
Robert Carr is the world's leading international fund focused on funding global and regional networks led by, involving, and serving people who face a higher HIV risk than the general population, systematic human rights violations, and barriers to information and HIV and SRH services.
Working with community-led and grassroots organisations is key to achieving the targets in the Global AIDS Strategy. Our investment into the Robert Carr Fund, along with other organisations such as the Global Fund and UNAIDS, is important in helping countries to implement actions and make progress towards targets under the Strategy.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Robert Carr Fund in advancing HIV and health outcomes for inadequately served populations.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is proud to be a long-term funder of the Robert Carr Fund (RCF), we consider it to be a very effective mechanism that supports the leadership, priorities and rights of some of the most marginalised people, in order to expand their access to the HIV, SRHR and health services they need.
Robert Carr is the world's leading international fund focused on funding global and regional networks led by, involving, and serving people who face a higher HIV risk than the general population, systematic human rights violations, and barriers to information and HIV and SRH services.
Working with community-led and grassroots organisations is key to achieving the targets in the Global AIDS Strategy. Our investment into the Robert Carr Fund, along with other organisations such as the Global Fund and UNAIDS, is important in helping countries to implement actions and make progress towards targets under the Strategy.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent unintended impacts from sanctions on food imports to Yemen by (a) the private sector and (b) humanitarian organisations.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK seeks to mitigate any unintended negative impacts of sanctions, including on humanitarian aid delivery. The UK's Yemen sanctions regulations include an exception which allows eligible humanitarian organisations, their service providers and delivery partners, to undertake activities necessary to ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance, and to support other activities that support basic human needs.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to promote (a) gender equality and (b) women's empowerment for women suffering from HIV.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are committed to driving progress and demonstrating leadership on gender equality and women's empowerment, including for women living with HIV, on the global stage. In April 2023, the UK convened member states, civil society, UN agencies and grassroots organisations at Wilton Park to bolster support for and resist rollback on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at the national, regional and global level. In May 2023, the UK joined other G7 leaders in re-asserting the critical role of comprehensive SRHR, including HIV services for women, in our efforts to achieve gender equality.
Our political action on this is also supported by our programming investments. For example, 60 per cent of the Global Fund's spending is specifically targeted to programs for women and girls and about one-third of Global Fund investments directly benefits SRHR. Our Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme delivers integrated sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV services, across 17 countries in in sub-Saharan Africa. Up to £200 million will also be delivered towards the WISH Dividend women's sexual health programme focussed on sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest rates of fertility, child marriage and maternal mortality in the world. The Dividend programme will reach up to 10.4 million women, including women with HIV.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department are taking to provide funding for global initiatives focused on HIV prevention, treatment and research in (a) low-income and (b) high-burden countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a global leader in the HIV response. We continue to fund and work with all our key global partners to pursue global initiatives and share best practice, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, WHO, Unitaid, UNAIDS and others such as the Global Financing Facility, and continue to support stronger health systems worldwide which help end AIDS-related deaths and prevent new HIV infections, particularly in low-income and high-burden countries.
The UK's investments, including to the WHO, help to ensure that people at high risk of HIV in the global south can access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and other HIV prevention and treatment services, to reduce their risk of infection. WHO has recently published new guidelines on HIV, STI and viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which will support countries and local organisations in designing and implementing their HIV strategies and interventions.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to share best practice in HIV (a) prevention, (b) treatment and (c) capacity building with other countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK remains a global leader in the HIV response. We continue to fund and work with all our key global partners to pursue global initiatives and share best practice, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, WHO, Unitaid, UNAIDS and others such as the Global Financing Facility, and continue to support stronger health systems worldwide which help end AIDS-related deaths and prevent new HIV infections, particularly in low-income and high-burden countries.
The UK's investments, including to the WHO, help to ensure that people at high risk of HIV in the global south can access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and other HIV prevention and treatment services, to reduce their risk of infection. WHO has recently published new guidelines on HIV, STI and viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which will support countries and local organisations in designing and implementing their HIV strategies and interventions.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to work with (a) international organisations and (b) partners to improve access to (i) antiretroviral therapy and (ii) other affordable medications in regions with high HIV prevalence.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Our pledge of £1 billion to the Global Fund for 2023-2025 will save over 1 million lives, including by providing antiretroviral therapy for 1.8 million people and HIV counselling and testing for 48 million people. FCDO also supports research and market shaping initiatives into HIV commodities to improve their development, access and affordability, particularly in low-income and high-burden countries . For example, the UK funds the WHO hosted Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction which has led important research on HIV, such as the recent ECHO trial on the link between HIV infection and contraceptive methods. FCDO also funds the International Partnership on Microbicides, a Product Development Partnership which develops innovative technologies, for example the dapivirine ring, the first long-acting HIV prevention product to help address women's unmet need for new methods of HIV-prevention. Our catalytic funding to MedAccess - an innovative social financing company for healthcare products - has led to the development of HIV-syphillis dual tests, and to securing HIV self-tests at a historic price of $1.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the proposals for a bill restricting LGBT+ rights in Ghana; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing sanctions on people promoting this bill.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK continues to monitor the Private Members Bill [on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values], which would further criminalise consensual same-sex relationships and undermine the human rights and freedoms of LGBT+ people and allies.
The UK routinely encourages Ghana to confirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters. I [Andrew Mitchell] raised the Bill with partners in June 2023. We continue to consider options in the event the Bill is approved by Parliament and granted assent.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to support LGBTQ+ communities in Uganda providing HIV prevention, testing and care services.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Through our contributions to the Global Fund, the UK is helping to tackle HIV/AIDS in Uganda by providing targeted prevention, testing and treatment services. This is through community outreach and the facilitation of drop-in centres that offer services such as legal and human rights, psychosocial and mental health support. The UK is the third largest donor to the Global Fund, having contributed £4.4 billion since its inception. Last year, the UK committed to providing a further £1 billion over three years to the Global Fund which will help to reach three million members of key populations, such as LGBT+ groups, worldwide with prevention programmes.
The UK was proud to play a strong role with our partners in shaping the progressive new Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Global AIDS Strategy "Ending Inequalities" 2021-26 and an ambitious UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS in June 2021 to enhance reporting against targets to end AIDS by 2030.