Tutu, religious leaders call on G8 leaders to keep promises on AIDS

Signatories include Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; Dr Musimbi Kanyoro, general secretary of the World YWCA; Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation; Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches; The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; and representatives of international and national ecumenical and church- based organizations. Over 350 Superiors General, the heads of women's religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church, have signed as well.

The G8 leaders will hold their next summit 6-8 June in Heiligendamm, Germany. The "Group of Eight" includes Canada,France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, The United Kingdom and the United States. A representative from the European Commission also participates.

The letter reminds the leaders of the commitments made at theG8 Summit in July 2005 that later received global affirmation at the UN High Level Meeting on AIDS in June 2006. Key to the commitments is the stated goal of reaching "Universal Access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010." "Without sufficient financial and leadership commitment from G8 countries", the letter states,this promise "has little meaning".

Currently, 75 percent of people who urgently need treatment are not receiving it; three million people died of AIDS-related illnesses last year. It is estimated that over 25 million people have died due to AIDS since the disease was identified in the early 1980s. Around 40 million people are currently living with HIV. The letter states that the promise of Universal Access has given hope, "not only to the millions living with HIV but also to their families, to their communities and carers, and to entire countries for which the economic and social fabricis threatened by the devastation of AIDS."

The letter includes five specific steps to ensure Universal Access can be a reality:

• Supporting a comprehensive, long-term funding plan
• Strengthening health systems
• Ensuring affordable medicines
• Supporting women and children
• Monitoring progress through a high-level working group on HIV and AIDS under the auspices of the G8.

The text acknowledges that Universal Access in three years is "ambitious", but emphasizes that "nothing less will do if we have any hope of eradicating AIDS from our world."

The sign-on letter was organized by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, a broad international network of churches and church-related organizations cooperating in advocacy on HIV and AIDS and on global trade.

For the full text of the letter and list of signatories, see http://www.e-alliance.ch/g8_summit.jsp
For more information, contact Sara Speicher, +44 1524 727 651,sspeicher@e-alliance.ch.
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The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a broad international network of churches and Christian organizations cooperating in advocacy on global trade and HIV and AIDS. The Alliance is based in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information, see http://www.e-alliance.ch/