Supporting World Aids Day, Nia Griffith MP said
“Many people in Llanelli care a great deal about tackling HIV and AIDS, and regularly contact me about it. I am proud of Labour’s leadership whilst in government to tackle this global scourge, and I urge Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State to do all he can to ensure the Tory-led Coalition Government continues our work.
“With 34 million people still living with HIV worldwide, action now is vital if we are to make a real difference. I am particularly worried that the Global Fund has been forced by limited donations, to freeze its spending until 2014, particularly as this represents around half of the world’s spending on HIV AIDS as well as three-quarters of the efforts to combat malaria and over 80% of the response to TB.
The international community should come together to get the Global Fund process moving again. No one country can hope to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS alone but UK leadership is now more important than ever.”
Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary said:
“Despite the progress we have seen, around the world millions of people are living with HIV and almost two million people are still dying from AIDS-related illnesses every year. I am very concerned by the recent news that the lack of support for the Global Fund means it has had to freeze its spending until 2014.
We urgently need international leadership to champion this cause and ensure that the price of the global financial crisis is not abandoning those suffering from HIV or AIDS.