Andrew Gwynne MP

Labour MP for Denton and Reddish

Shadow Health Minister

Andrew backs World AIDS Day Campaign

Andrew Gwynne MP today pledged to support Shadow International Development Secretary Ivan Lewis MP in keeping the pressure on the Government to continue the leadership the Labour Government provided in the global fight to tackle HIV and AIDS.

More than 90,000 people are currently living with HIV in the UK and globally an estimated 33.3 million people have HIV. World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

Andrew Gwynne MP said:

“Many people in Denton and Reddish care a great deal about tackling HIV and AIDS and regularly contact me about it. I am proud of Labour’s leadership whilst in government to tackle this global scourge and today, on World AIDS Day, I have urged Ivan to make sure that he does everything he can to ensure the Tory-led Coalition Government continues our work.

“With 34 million people still living with HIV worldwide, action now is vital if we are to make a real difference. I am particularly worried that the Global Fund has been forced by limited donations, to freeze its spending until 2014, particularly as this represents around half of the world’s spending on HIV AIDS as well as three-quarters of the efforts to combat malaria and over 80% of the response to TB.

The international community should come together to get the Global Fund process moving again. No one country can hope to tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS alone but UK leadership is now more important than ever.”

Ivan Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary said:

“Despite the progress we have seen, around the world millions of people are living with HIV and almost two million people are still dying from AIDS-related illnesses every year. I am very concerned by the recent news that the lack of support for the Global Fund means it has had to freeze its spending until 2014.  

“We urgently need international leadership to champion this cause and ensure that the price of the global financial crisis is not abandoning those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

“I was very glad to hear of Andrew Gwynne’s continued support for action to tackle HIV and AIDS.  In government, Labour made sure that the UK was at the centre of efforts to tackle HIV and AIDS and we are calling on the Tory-led Government to continue that leadership.”