Pacific Friends of Global Health has commended the Australian Government's World AIDS Day announcement of $48 million to support Pacific HIV responses as a demonstration of Australian commitment to health security and solidarity with our near neighbours.
The Pacific initiative was announced by Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the World AIDS Day Breakfast in Canberra today. It will support Fiji which is currently experiencing the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemic, with over 3,000 new infections expected this year alone.
"This is a timely intervention from the Australian Government. Without comprehensive harm reduction programs, this outbreak will overwhelm health systems across the Pacific,” said Professor Brendan Crabb, Chair of Pacific Friends of Global Health and CEO of the Burnet Institute.
"Stigma and underreporting mean the actual scale of this outbreak may be even worse than official figures suggest. This is a robust response to an outbreak that threatens not just Fiji but the entire Pacific region.”
The Government's announcement builds on its August commitment of $266 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. “The Global Fund has a proven track record in fighting diseases,” Professor Crabb said. “Global Fund investments have saved over 26.5 million lives in the Indo-Pacific since 2002. For every dollar Australia invests, the Global Fund delivers $13.60 in direct benefits to our region.
"The Australian Government deserves real credit for this comprehensive approach - maintaining its commitment to the Global Fund while stepping up with targeted support for Fiji's outbreak response.”
Pacific Friends of Global Health is the Australian civil society partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, advocating for strong Australian support for global health responses and evidence-based approaches to infectious disease outbreaks.
"Infectious disease outbreaks require constant vigilance and sustained investment - the moment we look away, they accelerate," Professor Crabb said. "Australia's dual commitment to both regional crisis response and the Global Fund shows strategic thinking about health security.”
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Nick Lucchinelli 0422 229 032