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Report highlights G8 shortcomings

    JOHANNESBURG

    A report by Debt AIDS Trade Africa (DATA), a debt relief advocacy group, says the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations has failed in its efforts against HIV/AIDS in developing countries.

    In 2005 the G8 leaders promised an immediate doubling of aid, reaching US$50 billion annually by 2010, to tackle poverty and disease, and encourage HIV, tuberculosis and malaria vaccine research, while also cancelling the external debt of 19 countries, mostly in Africa.

    According to 'The DATA Report 2006', although some of the targets for cancelling debt had been met, G8 member states had yet to fulfil pledges to provide universal access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, expand trade and increase aid to the continent.

    Irish rock star and DATA co-founder Bono said in a statement, "Overall, there is one cheer on debt, half a cheer on AIDS and boos and wolf-whistles for what is happening on trade."

    The report estimated that four million HIV-positive people in Africa would receive ARVs, 600,000 children would be spared malaria infection and an additional 30 million children would go to school if the G8 nations met their targets.

    Access the full report:www.thedatareport.org

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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