Commission approves Programme of Action to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

21 February 2001, Brussels

Commission approves Programme of Action to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

The European Commission has approved a new Communication setting out a Programme for an accelerated European Union (EU) response to the pandemic caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The programme sets out an ambitious agenda with potentially massive developmental returns. Presenting this Communication along with Commissioners Busquin, Liikanen, Byrne, Lamy and Patten, Commissioner Poul Nielson stated, "HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria are diseases that thrive in conditions of poverty. At the same time, they fatally handicap poor countries in their efforts to lift themselves out of poverty. Successful delivery of the selected strategies will make a major contribution to global efforts to address the communicable disease burden, improve the health of the poorest and reduce global poverty. Addressing the problems will take more than development co-operation tools. This is why I am pleased to note that this Plan draws on all relevant resources available to the EU, particularly research and trade" In the 2000 budget, the EU is committing €800 million for health, Aids and population programmes. Representing 8% of the total development co-operation budget, this will steadily increase as delivery capacity improves.

The document defines the EU response, over the period 2001-2006, to this global emergency, which most affects the poorest populations and which undermines all health and development efforts. The Programme for Action further develops the policy framework presented in a September 2000 Communication entitled "Accelerated action targeted at major communicable diseases within the context of poverty reduction'. That document set a wide ranging future agenda and was subsequently endorsed by a broad coalition of partners during the High Level Round Table on Communicable Diseases, co-hosted by WHO and UNAIDS, which took place in Brussels in September 2000.

The Commission intends to further prioritise action against the three communicable diseases and deliver on our existing commitments more rapidly. There is a need to deliver greater amounts of assistance, more efficiently and in a more co-ordinated way to affected countries. To that end the Commission is exploring, with partners, opportunities to reform the international financial architecture and to work with industry to establish tiered pricing as the norm for developing countries. Work with developing countries to strengthen pharmaceutical policies will continue, as will efforts to explore and support opportunities for local production of pharmaceuticals and to build their capacity to manage health, research and trade-related issues including the implementation of the TRIPS agreement. Public support for research and development will be reinforced through better co-ordination in Europe, in line with the objectives of the European Research Area, and incentives introduced to encourage private investment, and ensure participation of developing countries at all stages of the research process. Building increased capacity for research in developing countries will also be a particular priority.

The EC will work within an expanded partnership, including the UN, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, Non Governmental Organisations, G8 members and EU Member States, building on its particular areas of competence. The challenges are immense; to rapidly increase the impact of existing interventions, to increase the affordability of key pharmaceuticals for the poorest countries and populations, and to stimulate research and development of new generations of global public goods to confront these diseases.

The main elements of the plan are:

· increase in the money allocated to health, HIV/AIDS and population programmes as delivery capacity improves. For 2000, €800 million is available, depreciating 8% of the total development co-operation programme.

· New objectives: setting up in developing countries of pharmaceutical policies better adapted to their needs, support for investment in the development of local production capacity.

· A commitment in favour of tiered pricing where developing countries pay the lower possible price for medicines.

· A acknowledgement of the possibility to explore the best use of compulsory licensing systems.

· A commitment by the Commission to launch a debate in the WTO on reconciling the TRIPS agreements with the objectives of health protection in developing countries.

· In the area of research, launching of a major initiative concerning clinical trials.