The 1st December this year was 'World AIDS Day' and there was much to celebrate: AIDS-related deaths are down by 21%. Globally, the number of new HIV infections is also down by 21%. And a total of 2.5 million deaths in developing countries have been averted as a result of the introduction of anti-retroviral treatment. All this is due to a major expansion in access to treatment and education. As UNAIDS' executive director – Michel Sidibe – commented: "we are on the verge of a significant breakthrough".

Unfortunately, in November the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria revealed that it has been forced to cancel its funding until 2014.

Two billion dollars is needed to pay for all requests for funding, the lack of which will significantly affect the positive progress achieved so far. Additionally, Britain is set to cut its spending on overseas aid by £1.16billion over the next three years as funds are diverted towards projects in Britain.

This is obviously devastating news – countries such as Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe all rely heavily on money from the fund.

In Malawi, 12% of the adult population are living with HIV & AIDS, and 90% of the cost of providing the nation's anti-retroviral treatment programme has been paid for so far by the Global Fund. As a result of the cuts "the quality of treatment will be heavily compromised" said Safari Mbewe executive director of the Malawi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. "I am telling the international donor community it is not time to scale down, but to scale up – this will spell disaster for people living with HIV".

The Global Fund is offering a "transitional funding mechanism" which will allow countries to ask for money to cover essential needs. In recognition of the danger of stopping HIV treatment, this should allow countries to continue supplying anti-retroviral drugs to people who are already taking them.

But in future, those diagnosed with HIV may not be given access to life-prolonging drugs.

Temwa's HIV Testing project
In many remote communities in northern Malawi there are no health clinics where people can get tested to find out their status. But since 2009, Temwa has been running a mobile testing centre. To date, we have tested 9000 people.

Temwa then provides support services to those who discover they are HIV positive. This support will help them start their own business to provide income for their families, improve their diet and encourage them to access anti-retroviral drugs from the hospital.

(The photo above shows a group on an agricultural training course run by Temwa which teaches people how to grow vegetables. This will improve their diet and enable them to grow surplus produce to sell.)

But the proposed withdrawal of funds that provide new HIV sufferers with drugs, does threaten to undermine this project. We would still be providing support to those who discover their status, but it is difficult for Temwa to continue encouraging everyone to get tested when they then cannot access the necessary drugs which will help prolong their life.

Temwa is currently waiting for information from the Malawian Government to find out exactly what will happen. But we will continue to research this issue and to address how we can best proceed.

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