Credit: UNAIDS/agencialibrefoto

The shifting dynamics of the AIDS global financial architecture were explored in depth at a Special Session held on 5 August during the International AIDS Conference taking place in Mexico.

The interactive session brought together leaders from major AIDS donors and recipient countries including the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Botswana and the Netherlands, as well as UNAIDS, WHO, the Global Fund, the World Bank, PEPFAR and civil society advocates, to reflect on the challenges posed by the current global funding architecture in delivering effective and efficient AIDS programmes.

The panelists explored the complex dynamics facing recipient governments and implementers, donor governments and other financial mechanisms, and global agencies. In the past five years, financial resources for the AIDS response have significantly increased and there has been a rapid scale-up of programming in the context of commitments to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by 2010. The goal is to ensure that HIV programmes are evidence-based and meet international standards, and the challenge is to “make the money work”.

Michel Sidibe, Assistant Secretary-General and UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director of Programmes
Credit: UNAIDS/agencialibrefoto

Michel Sidibe, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of Programmes, UNAIDS, discussed the challenges to ensuring that global standards are upheld as services are scaled up.

As well as advocating for the need to build adequate and sustained long-term financing for HIV programmes, Mr Sidibe spoke of the importance of strengthening health systems and improving coordination and harmonization. Mr Sidibe was instrumental in developing and implementing the “Three Ones” principles to better coordinate national AIDS responses.

The session was co-chaired by health economist Professor Jean-Paul Moatti and the Dutch AIDS Ambassador Paul Bekkers.

Participants:

Malcolm McNeil, Team Leader within the Policy and Research Division at the UK Department for International Development.

Michel Sidibe, Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of Programmes UNAIDS

Ambassador Mark R. Dybul, United States Global AIDS Coordinator

Joy Phumaphi, Vice President of the World Bank’s Human Development Network

Alvaro Bermejo, Executive Director, International HIV/AIDS Alliance

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Health of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Professor Michel D. Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Mphu Keneiloe Ramatlapeng, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Lesotho

Hiroki Nakatani, Assistant Director-General - HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization