Spain Announces $15.9 Million Donation To UNAIDS

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 06 Aug 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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Spain's First Vice President Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega on Sunday during her speech at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City announced her country's contribution of 10.2 million euros, or $15.9 million, to UNAIDS, BBC News/RedOrbit reports. Of that amount, three million euros, or $4.7 million, will be set aside to support the activities of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and 1.5 million euros, or $2.3 million, will go to the International Partnership for Microbicides.

During her speech, de la Vega emphasized that HIV is not only a health problem, but is also a problem of development, equality and social justice. According to the first vice president, "the huge differences in access to health resources, drugs and health services" demonstrate that HIV/AIDS is still a major epidemic in many regions of the world.

The government of Spain has already committed to providing $600 million to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2008 to 2012. In addition, Spain contributed $1.6 million to IAVI last year and has granted $1.6 million annually since 2005 to the European platform for HIV vaccine clinical trials (BBC News/RedOrbit, 8/4).

Kaisernetwork.org is the official webcaster of the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Click here to sign up for your Daily Update e-mail during the conference. A webcast of the opening session of the conference, at which she spoke, is available online.

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