€1m boost for research into diseases

The Government today pledged €1m to a special programme to fund Irish research into HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in developing countries.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Health Research Board signed a co-operation pact to support health workers working on new drugs and vaccines.

Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights Conor Lenihan said the initial €1m funding was allocated for 2005 and 2006, but was likely to be increased.

“This is a timely initiative to strengthen cooperation between the official aid programme and Irish institutions, in the context of the expanding aid budget,” Mr Lenihan said.

“I don’t see it stopping there. The challenges are great and the resources will have to keep pace.”

The minister said he hoped the co-operation pact marked the beginning of closer co-operation between the Departments of Health and Foreign Affairs in relation to a range of issues facing the world’s poorest countries.

Under Ireland’s aid programme, the Government spent €7m in 2005 on researching and developing new drugs for HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

Representing Minister for Health Mary Harney, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jim Kiely said the world had seen improvements in better education, control of infectious diseases and fertility in developing countries.

“Better research and expertise will lead to better decision-making and better policy-making,” he said.

Quoting the World Report on Health 2005, Dr Kiely said that 3.3 million babies were stillborn, four million died before one month old, 6.6 million toddlers died before they reached five and 600,000 mothers died in childbirth.

He said that with a major assault on gastroenteritis diseases, measles, respiratory diseases and malaria, the under-five mortality could be halved in five years.

Mr Lenihan said that the Government’s commitment to improving health in the world’s poorest countries was reflected in the Taoiseach’s recent decision to double spending on HIV/AIDS and global communicable diseases to €100m a year.

Overall total spending on overseas development aid in 2005 will top €675m.

Mr Lenihan said: “For example, Africa is experiencing a critical shortage of health workers. Through the aid programme we work with countries on training and retention of health workers.”

Ireland’s support for health is principally channelled through ministries of health in countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Funding is used to improve health services so that everyone can have access to basic healthcare.

The benefits are seen through improvements in child and maternal health and more people receiving treatment for major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

Ireland already provides support for health through the World Health Organisation in tackling global health issues such as HIV/AIDS and the acute shortage of health workers.

The Government also funds a number of initiatives Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria.

A sum of €1.7m was also given to eradicate polio, a disease which used to paralyse 350 thousand children a year and is now almost eradicated.

The state also supports primary health care programmes by Irish and other international and national NGOs which complement funding to governments and help reach poor and marginalised communities.