Almost 700 health workers and LGBT+ rights campaigners from 40 countries have written to Sir Keir Starmer, asking him to protect the UK’s contribution to the global fight against HIV.
The government is currently deciding how much money to allocate to HIV prevention efforts around the world, amid deep cuts to overseas aid.
The letter’s signatories are asking the prime minister to “fill the gaps left by the US retreat”, as Donald Trump axed the vast majority of the country’s contributions to global health when he took office for the second time.
The US president’s emergency plan for Aids relief (Pepfar) was the world’s largest funder of HIV programmes – and while it has been partially protected, it still faces major restrictions.
“The recent proposal by the US Congress to reinstate some funding for global HIV is welcome, but this money – if it is confirmed – will not make its way to many groups at higher risk from the virus, thanks to a discriminatory and unscientific ban on so-called DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] programmes,” the letter said.
The US continues to fund preventative medicines and support for pregnant and breastfeeding women, but not for other vulnerable groups, including gay men and transgender communities.
“This will create a two-tier response to the pandemic where only those deemed worthy by the US government will receive US-funded medicines to protect themselves,” the letter said.
It was signed by 686 people from global South countries representing public health and LGBT+ activist organisations. While more than 300 signed their names, another half endorsed the letter anonymously because of safety concerns due to harsh and discriminatory anti-LGBT+ laws in their countries.
The world’s other largest funder of HIV care, the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which pays for a quarter of all international programmes, is currently raising funds for the next three years.
The UK is co-hosting its fundraising event on 21 November this year in South Africa, and has always been one of the fund’s biggest donors.
But it is nevertheless widely expected to cut its contribution by as much as £150m – risking an estimated 255,000 lives.
“When Aids erupted in your country, some elements in the media and politics tried to separate people who had acquired the virus into those ‘deserving’ or ‘undeserving’ of compassion and care,” the letter read.
“Activists worked hard, and still do, to fight that terrible narrative, which not only stigmatises and shames people living with HIV, but undermines efforts to drive down transmissions.
“In addition, the UK has an extra duty to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ people globally, given your historic role in creating the anti-homosexuality laws that still exist in many countries around the world, and which make it hard – often impossible – for the LGBTQ+ community to access lifesaving services, unless they are provided by international donors.”
This article was produced as part of The Independent’s Rethinking Global Aid project
