The BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have increased their domestic public spending on HIV by more than 120 percent between 2006 and 2011, according to a United Nations report.
In fact, domestic funding for HIV exceeded international investments, said the Joint UN Programme report on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), ‘Together we will end AIDS’.
Low and middle-income countries invested $ 8.6 billion for their response in 2011, an increase of 11 percent over 2010. International funding however remained flat at 2008 levels, $ 8.2 billion, it added.
On the BRICS response, India has committed to increase domestic funding to more than 90 percent in its next phase of the AIDS response. Brazil and Russia already fully fund their AIDS response with domestic resources, the report said.
The BRICS countries now fund, on average, more than 75 percent of their domestic AIDS responses. Domestic sources already account for more than 80 percent of resources spent on AIDS in South Africa. China and the Chinese government have pledged to fully fund its response in the coming years, the report said.
“It is clear that this is no time for the world to slow down efforts on global AIDS, rather, we must seize the moment to build on the progress we’ve made and achieve an AIDS-free generation,” said, the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Mr Eric Goosby.
Funding from the United States accounts for nearly 48 percent of all international assistance for AIDS, the report said.
While domestic investments in AIDS are increasing, there is still a large shortfall in global funding for HIV. By 2015, the estimated annual gap will be $ 7 billion. At the 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS, countries adopted a Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS in which they agreed to increase investments for HIV to between $ 22-24 billion by 2015. A concerted effort by all countries is needed to scale up funding if this target is to be met, the report said.
“This is an era of global solidarity and mutual accountability,” said, Mr Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Countries most affected by the epidemic are taking ownership and demonstrating leadership in responding to HIV. However, it is not enough for international assistance to remain stable, it has to increase if we are to meet the 2015 goals.”
According to the report, 81 countries increased their domestic investments for AIDS by more than 50 percent between 2006 and 2011. As economies in low and middle-income countries grow, domestic public investments for AIDS have also grown. Domestic public spending in sub-Saharan Africa for example, (not including South Africa) increased by 97 percent over the last five years. South Africa already spends more than 80 percent from domestic sources and has quadrupled its domestic investments between 2006 and 2011.
Although total resources for AIDS have not significantly increased, record numbers of people are accessing antiretroviral therapy. In 2011, eight million people had access to life-saving treatment in low and middle-income countries, an increase of 1.4 million over 2010. Despite the substantial numbers of people newly starting treatment, it is only just over half (54 percent) of the 14.8 million people eligible, the report said.