Julian has joined with UK, international and student activists at a Parliamentary event to mark the 25th World AIDS Day on 1 December.
He welcomed the UK’s pledge of £1bn to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, ahead of a major world conference in Washington on the issue next week.
The event, organised by the group STOPAIDS, coincided with the launch of the Department for International Development’s review of its 2011 position paper Towards Zero Infections.
Julian spoke with activists about how far we have come in tackling the AIDS epidemic, with 9.7 million people now accessing treatment, and AIDS-related deaths declining from a peak of 2.2 million in the mid-2000s to 1.6 million in 2012.
But he also heard there is more to do with 16 million people still not accessing anti-retroviral treatment and 1.6 million people dying of AIDS-related illnesses in 2012.
Julian said:
“The UK’s pledge of £1bn to the Global Fund is something we should be proud of and I encourage other countries to join the commitment of this country to bringing this terrible disease under control.”
Ben Simms, of STOPAIDS, added:
“We were delighted to talk to Julian today, about how the UK’s support for the Global Fund means the UK public are helping to save a life every three minutes.
“This World AIDS Day we remember the 35 million people who have lost their lives to AIDS and call on the governments of other countries to follow the UK’s lead.”