Donors agree on ‘Three Ones’ — a new attack on HIV/AIDS

Donors and developing countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS last weekend agreed to adopt three core principles to better coordinate and scale-up national responses. In a media release UNAIDS reported that at a meeting in Washington, co-chaired by UNAIDS, the UK and US, agreement was reached on the “Three Ones”; an HIV/AIDS action framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners; one national AIDS coordinating authority with a broad based multi-sector mandate, and one agreed country-level monitoring and evaluation system.

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said the agreement was about raising more resources. “It is about making sure these resources are spent wisely to help countries mount sustainable and effective AIDS strategies. This is why the ‘Three Ones’ is so crucial.” To date, some programmes have been developed in isolation by well-intentioned donors, non-governmental organisations and others. Governments of heavily-affected countries have often had to deal with confusing and duplicated demands to show progress. “At the country level, governments are struggling to fight the AIDS epidemic, while rushing to respond to conflicting and often repetitive donor requirements,” said Mary Kaphwelesa Banda, the Malawi Minister of State responsible for HIV/AIDS.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn said, “Donor harmonisation is a key component to fight AIDS successfully.” The Bank’s multi-country HIV/AIDS programmes aim to support national AIDS strategies in Africa and the Caribbean to help streamline the process. The meeting was attended by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and United States along with representatives of the World Bank and United Nations agencies. Non-governmental organisations and several developing countries were also represented.

The three principles were first identified through a preparatory process at global and country levels, initiated by UNAIDS in collaboration with the World Bank and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The first meeting to review the “Three Ones” took place last September during the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Nairobi, Kenya in Africa. Approximately 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, while 25 million have already died.