9th July, 2009
AMREF and other non-governmental organisations working on health do not endorse the G8’s communiquè on Development and Africa with regard to health. It lacks a concrete plan of action even in light of the looming health catastrophe due to the world economic crisis.
“A very disappointing Communiquè that leaves out crucial issues. Despite the economic crisis, we should have seen greater efforts to support global health.” This is the assessment of Italian and international organisations working in developing countries on the G8 Communiquè on ‘Development and Africa’..
“First of all, there is no mention of a disbursement plan of the US$60 billion that should be delivered by 2011 to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and to strengthen health systems, promised in Heiligendamm in 2007 and confirmed last year at the Toyako Summit,” says Annalisa Stagni from Action for Global Health, a European NGOs network. “We want the G8 countries to sign a roadmap with clear modalities and timelines of disbursement of the US$60 billion. This is the minimum amount required to cope with the weakness of the health systems of Southern countries.”
If the rich countries will not contribute to strengthening health systems for provision of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and to fight pandemics, the impact of the economic crisis on developing countries can be catastrophic. To avoid a health crisis that would undermine both the fundamental human right to health and the economic growth of the Southern countries, it is crucial to support the public health systems – including addressing the shortage of health workers. In fact, as poverty increases, people will rely more and more on the already fragile public health systems, increasing their risk of collapse.
Masaki Inaba of Africa Japan Forum noted that while the document highlights the need to strengthen health systems, the indicator of 2.3 health workers per 1,000 people contained in last year’s G8 Communiqué is still far from being reached. In the next 10 years there will be a need for US$26.4 billion for pre-service education in sub-Saharan Africa, to fill the region’s gap of 1.5 million health workers.
“The total lack of any reference to the financial crisis which the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) is presently facing is unbelievable and of great concern,” says Stefania Burbo of the Italian Network against AIDS. “This is particularly so if we consider that this financing mechanism for the fight against the three pandemics was launched at the previous Italian G8 held in Genoa in 2001, when Silvio Berlusconi was Prime Minister.”
The Communiqué acknowledges the fundamental role played by the Global Fund in the last eight year, making it the first financing tool for programmes to fight AIDS – and invites GFATM to keep supporting health systems in developing countries. There is no reference, however, to the resource gap – which equals US$3 billion for 2009 and 2010. There are already approved programmes which risk remaining only on paper, with the absence of additional financial inflow from donor countries. These activities are vital if we want the positive trend registered by GFATM in saving millions of lives to continue in the coming years.
“The continuing absence of a plan for realising universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS is equally striking. The 2010 deadline is rapidly approaching and the goal – to which the G8 first made a commitment in 2005 – will not be reached,” says Birte Rodenberg of Action against AIDS Germany. “In 2008, only 3 out of nearly 10 million people in need of antiretroviral therapy had access to it.”
This statement's signatories:Action against AIDS GermanyAfrica Japan Forum African Medical and Research Foundation AIDES AIDS Infoshare Azione per la Salute Globale Global Health Advocates Osservatorrio Italiano sull’Azione Globale contol l’AIDS |
