KFF/UNAIDS Report Finds Donor Nation Support for AIDS Relief Was Flat in 2009 During World Economic Crisis, With US$7.6 Billion Provided During the Year

VIENNA, Austria – Overall support for global AIDS efforts from donor nations flattened in the midst of last year’s global economic crisis, according to a new analysis of 2009 funding levels from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

In 2009, the Group of Eight nations, European Commission (EC) and other donor governments provided US$7.6 billion for AIDS relief in developing nations, compared with US$7.7 billion disbursed in 2008.

The 2009 totals ended a run of annual double-digit percentage point increases in donor support for international AIDS assistance since at least 2002, when donor governments provided a total of US$1.2 billion. The results are consistent with preliminary data about overall trends in official developmental assistance during last year’s global recession and economic instability.

“Donor nations essentially were treading water last year on AIDS relief, but did not cut back overall as they dealt with the economic tsunami that sparked a global recession,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “Time will tell whether support will resume its rapid growth once the global recovery takes hold.”

“Reductions in investment on AIDS programs are hurting the AIDS response. At a time when we are seeing results in HIV prevention and treatment, we must scale up, not scale down,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director.

This year’s totals reflect a substantial increase in funding provided by the United States (rising from US$3.95 billion in 2008 to US$4.4 billion in 2009), which helped to offset reductions in support from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands

The United States remains the largest donor nation in the world, accounting for more than half (58%) of 2009 disbursements, followed by United Kingdom (10.2%), Germany (5.2%), the Netherlands (5%), and France (4.4%). Denmark accounted for 2.5%.

The new report provides the latest data available on donor funding based on data provided by governments and collected and analyzed by researchers as part of a collaborative effort between Kaiser and UNAIDS, with research assistance provided by the Stimson Center. It does not examine donor nation support for other health and development efforts.

Other key findings include:

•  UNAIDS estimates that US$23.6 billion was needed to address the epidemic in low- and middle-income countries in 2009. That suggests a growing gap of US$7.7 billion between available resources and need, according to UNAIDS estimates.

•  In 2009, donor governments disbursed US$5.9 billion bilaterally and earmarked funds for HIV through multilateral organizations, as well as an additional US$1.6 billion to combat HIV through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and US$123 million to UNITAID.

The full report is available online at the Kaiser Family Foundation’s website or on the UNAIDS’ Website.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible analysis and information on health issues.

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org.