A new report released today highlights the impact of the United Kingdom’s decision to cut its level of official development assistance from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income. The report, Jeopardising Progress: Impact of UK Government AIDS Cuts on HIV/AIDS Worldwide, is the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS, Stop AIDS and Frontline AIDS.
The report warns that the world is sleepwalking towards a new AIDS emergency and says that urgent action is needed to get the HIV response back on track. It shows how COVID-19 has disrupted HIV services, leading to significant declines in HIV testing and referrals to treatment around the world.
The UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, met British parliamentarians to discuss the findings of the report during her visit to London earlier this month.
Ms Byanyima also met the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, and the Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Wendy Morton. During the meetings, Ms Byanyima praised the United Kingdom’s own progress against the HIV epidemic and said the country’s leadership and participation in the global AIDS response was needed now more than ever.
