1st December 2006 - Yorkshire Euro-MP calls for greater efforts to tackle disease on World AIDS Day

As part of World AIDS Day today Yorkshire Member of the European Parliament, Linda McAvan is calling on governments to up their efforts to tackle the disease. The latest figures suggest that more than 40 million people are infected with the disease worldwide, 95% of them in the developing world. It is believed that nearly 5 million people have been infected with HIV/AIDS this year alone, and infection rates are rising in most EU countries.

In a debate in the European Parliament yesterday, MEPs called on the European Commission to increase funding for the global fund to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis to €1 billion (£670 million). MEPs stressed the need for investments into research, preventive campaigns, healthcare professionals, education and developing the AIDS vaccines.

Linda McAvan, said; "One in four people who die anywhere in the world today will die of AIDS, TB, malaria or infections relating to diarrhoea. We can cure or prevent all of these diseases. Each of these deaths is simply unnecessary. The G8 - led by the British government - has a commitment to provide as close as possible to universal access to treatment for AIDS by 2010, but in Africa this year 77% of people still have no access to treatment. We must do better."

Anyone wishing to find out more, or to donate to the National AIDS trust, should visit http://www.worldaidsday.org/.