Greater debt relief is needed for poor countries with a high incidence of HIV/AIDS, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Liz O'Donnell said at the United Nations yesterday.
Ms O'Donnell, who is attending the special session of the UN General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, said the spread of the disease meant there was "a more compelling case" for increased relief or even cancellation of debt. She had written to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance on the issue. "As a result Ireland will support calls for greater debt relief, or cancellation, if necessary, for poor countries with high rates of HIV/AIDS infection. "We are prepared to pay our fair share of such additional debt relief," she said. "The resources released by the additional relief should be directed to the fight against AIDS in a programme monitored by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund." The spread of the disease was worsened by the lack of basic healthcare in poorer countries. Ms O'Donnell, who has special responsibility for overseas development assistance, said a key concern of the Irish aid programme was to build up "sustainable health systems" in poor countries. "We are also convinced of the importance of investment in education," she said. More education meant a greater understanding of the threat.
Ireland was participating in the efforts to establish a global fund to combat HIV/AIDS. "We stand ready to contribute," the Minister of State said. But she warned against a "top down" approach in administration. "We have pressed our view that the new fund should not involve a new international bureaucracy, should be effective in channelling funding into national efforts to build up health systems and should target the poorest communities in the most affected countries." "This will need close co-operation with the pharmaceutical industry, which has signalled a willingness to provide drugs at deeply discounted prices to poor countries," she said. Ireland was one of the first countries to integrate the fight against AIDS into its development programmes and to recognise the importance of research into an AIDS vaccine by donating £2.5 million pounds to the International Aids Vaccine Initiative.
"Several Government Departments, including Finance; Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Health have been involved in discussions on the formulation of policy," she said.