In November 2020, the UK Government announced it will no longer be spending 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance. The reductions amount to a loss of 30% compared with the 2019 ODA budget. This has led to numerous program closures in 2021, including in key areas like health and humanitarian work. Analysis from Action For Global Health indicates that the reduction in global health spending represents an overall cut of up to 40% (compared against 2019).
There has been significant reductions in the UK’s bilateral, multilateral and research funding for the HIV response and co-infections, including tuberculosis. Civil society and parliamentarians have voiced concern that these cuts threaten hard-won progress in the HIV response that UK Aid has been instrumental in delivering.
Despite significant progress that leadership from the UK Government has been instrumental in creating, AIDS remains the leading cause of death for women of a reproductive age. And although preventable, 1.5 million people acquired HIV last year, triple where the target was supposed to be. COVID-19 is now threatening to reverse years of progress. For example, across facilities surveyed by the Global Fund around the world, HIV testing fell by over 40% in 2020.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS, STOPAIDS and Frontline AIDS are inviting written evidence on the following questions that will explore the impact of the cuts made in 2021 on the HIV response and on people living with and affected by HIV. The deadline is midday BST on Monday 2nd August. Please email Mark Lewis with your submission on mark.lewis@parliament.uk
What impact has UK ODA had on your organisation and in the wider communities with which you work, in terms of the HIV response and / or wider health responses including Health System Strengthening, Universal Health Coverage and pandemic preparedness?
What impact is the reduction of ODA funding from the UK Government in the 2021-22 financial year having on your organisation and / or partners that are implementing UK ODA programmes, as well as on the wider communities with which you work ?
What impact is the reduction of ODA funding from the UK Government in the 2021-22 financial year having on the HIV response and affected communities in low and middle income countries?
What is your assessment of the UK Government’s split between bilateral and multilateral ODA spending, and the effectiveness of these channels for advancing the HIV response?
If previous ODA funding is not restored from the UK Government, what long term impact will there be on the regional / national / global HIV response and on the most affected communities?
What was the FCDO’s approach to settling ODA budget allocations for your organisation in the 2021-22 financial year, including how it was communicated and if any impact assessments or risk mitigation measures were put in place?
To repair the damage from the cuts and advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending AIDS by 2030, what actions should the UK Government take? This could include recommendations for the upcoming Spending Review and the FCDO’s International Development Strategy.