HIV, Malaria and Other Diseases

Cost-effective treatments for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis exist and yet these life-saving medicines are not getting to the people who need them the most. Most rich countries can provide HIV treatment to everyone who needs it. But in poorer countries, only half of adults – and even fewer children - cannot get the life-saving treatment they desperately need

Why? For a start many newer, more effective newer HIV treatments are priced out of reach by pharmaceutical companies. And even with older medicines costing just $100 a year, more funding is needed to reach everyone in need.

People who cannot access treatment can't protect their partners from the infection, schools are losing teachers due to illness and death, and children are losing parents and being deprived of their childhoods.

Almost half a million people die from malaria every year, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa, with only half of those at risk using a protective net or spray against the mosquitos that spread the disease that costs just a few dollars

And whilst we need to keep fighting HIV, we can no longer neglect funding for the fight against tuberculosis, or TB. This disease spreads due to poor living conditions, and now kills 1.4 million people and rising every year, more than HIV.

These diseases are big killers and the impact on the developing world is devastating.

But there are simple, cost effective measures.

The Robin Hood Tax could raise billions every year to make sure all children and adults have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services.