HIV/AIDS Control at the highest political level

The current President of the EU Council of Health Ministers, Federal Minister of Health, Ulla Schmidt:
"At the Bremen Conference, we succeeded in agreeing on the fact that the fight against HIV/AIDS can only be won with strong political leadership. This is a topic which must be tackled at the highest possible political level. It is therefore of special importance to me that HIV/AIDS be made one of the central themes of the German Presidency and, beyond that, a political priority of all European governments, the Commission and Europe as a whole. Indeed, like with no other health policy topic, we are forced – owing to the pandemic dimensions and threat posed by HIV/AIDS – to look beyond our own borders, beyond national borders, and even beyond those of the European Union and of Europe itself. This said, the control of HIV/AIDS requires not only the support of policy-makers; it requires that of the entire society. Together with the over one hundred non-governmental organisations which were represented in Bremen we will do all that is in our power to ensure access, throughout Europe, to prevention and affordable treatment and to make it possible for all of those who are infected in Europe, to live a life free from stigmatisation and discrimination.

In talks with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry we have suceeded in winning over the major producers of AIDS-drugs for country-specific pricing as part of a sustainable strategy in the fight against HIV/AIDS."

Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul:
"At the Bremen conference, it became clear, once again, that HIV/AIDS is a global crisis and it must be addressed by means of joint, global action.

We must continue to do all that is in our power to make the agreements of the millennium development goals, which are binding for us all, become a reality by the year 2015. For the fight against HIV/AIDS, this means putting a halt to the spread of the disease and achieving a turnaround in the rate of infection.
The Federal Government will also be making the fight against HIV/AIDS one of its principal themes during the German G8 Presidency. In that context, we will be focusing our engagement on the protection of girls and women from infections and disease. We are supporting the setting up of health care systems in developing countries and are working towards ensuring that people have affordable medicines at their disposal. Furthermore, we are pursuing the goal of enabling universal access to prevention, treatment and care for all persons affected by HIV/AIDS by the year 2010.

Consequently, we will also be providing financial support to replenish the Global Fund against AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Since it was set up a few years ago, this Fund has been doing excellent work. As a result of its work, it has already been possible to save 1.5 million people and, every month, another 100,000, especially children, join their ranks.

In the course of our EU Presidency, we wish to finalise a Code of Conduct which will prevent doctors and nurses from being systematically head-hunted and enticed away by industrialised countries. Precisely Africa is in dire need of health care personnel.

Federal Minister of Education and Research, Annette Schavan:
"Research has made an essential contribution towards reducing the fatal outcome of AIDS. With the assistance of innovative medicines, it has been possible to greatly improve the quality of life enjoyed by affected patients. Nonetheless, it has still not been possible, thus far, to find a vaccine against this disease. HIV/AIDS continues to be a fatal disease. This is why we need excellent research efforts which are networked with each other and which co-operate with partners in areas which are most seriously affected. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research supports the European initiative to combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases in developing countries. Hand in hand with European and African partners, clinical trials for the development of medicinal products and vaccines against HIV/AIDS are being pushed forward. In Germany, as well, we are relying on Co-operation in the area of health research and promoting the HIV/AIDS Competence Network. Alongside university clinics and hospitals, the German AIDS relief associations and non-hospital doctors are also integrated into the network. Our goal is for patients to be able to benefit as quickly as possible from the fruits of research."

Please click here to read the German version of this press release: http://www.bmg.bund.de/cln_040/nn_600110/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/Presse-1-2007/pm-13-3-07.html

Please visit http://www.bmg.bund.de/ to read more about the outcomes from the Bremen Conference in German.