There’s been a lot of praise for G8 leaders regarding the goal they set last week for HIV/AIDS. They’re aiming to provide near universal access to treatment for all those who need it by the year 2010. But some groups are concerned the G8 may not follow through on their promises with adequate funding.
Kirsty McNeill is the manager for the Stop AIDS Campaign, a coalition of about 80 groups. From London, she spoke with English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about the G8’s AIDS plan.
Ms. McNeill says, “We were delighted that the G8 finally took some courageous steps…we’ve already lost 20 million people to HIV because they didn’t get the care and treatment they required. It’s fantastic to see the G8 finally saying this is the year we’re going to make that stop.”
But she does have concerns. She says, “Our worry is that without full funding coming up – the replenishment funding conference in September (for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria) – and without people using the World Trade Organization process to make sure there can be fair trade medicines – there can be some critical blockages that make the target unachievable. But the setting of the target of the target itself was incredibly bold and visionary.”