Secondly, we require ownership of the fight against HIV from developing countries, particularly those moving into the middle income bracket. Developing country governments need to acknowledge the scale of the challenge, and commit their own resources and political capital to work with the international community to tackle the HIV epidemic. Under the Abuja declaration, countries have a commitment to spend at least 15 % of their budgets on health. This should be monitored carefully, and parliamentarians and civil society should be bold in holding their governments to account. Laws which stigmatise and criminalise those groups who are at risk from HIV infection, most notably men who have sex with men must be repealed, and countries should take a pragmatic, public-health approach rather than ideologically driven approach to HIV and AIDS policies.
' Under the Abuja declaration, countries have a commitment to spend at least 15 % of their budgets on health '
Thirdly, and critically it will require greater collaboration from pharmaceutical companies, who need to prioritise the needs of poor patients in developing countries. This is not to cast them as villains in the debate about access to HIV medicines- to do so would take no account of the crucial role they have played in developing the treatments that so many people rely upon today. But much more needs to be done to ensure that medicines are not beyond the reach of those who are least able to afford them.
In 2009 the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS conducted a detailed inquiry into access to medicines in the developing world, and warned that we are facing a“ treatment timebomb” as patients in the developing world move from cheaper first line treatments to more expensive second and third line treatments. One of the key recommendations of the report was that drug companies should put their patents into the UN lead Medicines Patent Pool, establishing a mechanism whereby pharmaceutical companies can“ pool” their patents, getting a fair return for their investment but also ensuring that the price remains affordable to developing countries. Two companies, Gilead and Viiv, have now signed up some of their licences, but we need to see greater leadership from all companies, as well as think about how to incentivise research and development into new medications in the longer term.
The position now
We have made great strides in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic, thanks in large part to the courage, inspiration and activism of those people who are living with and affected by the virus. Three decades after the discovery of the HIV virus, there is still no vaccine and no cure.
Throughout its history, AIDS has been a rare issue that can cross conventional left-right divides- as is shown by the dedication and commitment of members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS, of which I Chair.
On World AIDS Day last year, in one of the most politically polarised nations in the world, Presidents Obama and Bush stood side by side to pledge their commitment to bring about an end to AIDS. If they can do it, so can we- we now have the tools, the science and technical know-how to talk credibly about bringing an end to AIDS. All we need is the political will.
As Hilary Clinton said“ The goal of an AIDS-free generation is ambitious. But is possible, with the knowledge and interventions we have right now. And that is something we’ ve never been able to say without qualification before.” 7
7 Hillary Clinton( 2011), US Department of State URL: http:// www. state. gov / secretary / rm / 2011 / 11 / 176810. htm revolutionise. it 42