"Africa Needs Support Not Sympathy" - Chidgey

3.25.49pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Jun 2004

David Chidgey & Bob Geldof are backing the campaign to increase aid to Africa

David Chidgey, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, met Sir Bob Geldof at the launch of a campaign to persuade the Chancellor to increase overseas aid to 0.5 per cent of GNI in his spending review. They want a commitment for the UK to meet the UN target of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income by 2011, doubling the present budget.

Mr Chidgey said:

"Too often, humanitarian crisis in the developing world is overlooked by the national media. A shocking UN report, that 30 million out of 40 million worldwide suffering from AIDS live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where life expectancy has dropped to 46 and there are now at least 11 million orphans, received barely a mention. But helped by Sir Bob's fantastic commitment to this cause MPs who share his concerns are determined to increase public awareness.

Gordon Brown has argued that countries which have not committed to the 0.7 per cent target should "move further and faster to higher aid levels and on towards that target". But the British Government itself has yet to reach that level or set a date for its achievement.

Mr Chidgey recently visited the AIDS hospice in Soweto, the South African township of some four million on the outskirts of Johannesburg. He met patients in the advanced stages of the disease and discussed in detail with clinical staff the medical treatment and nursing care available and their funding needs.

Mr Chidgey said:

"Witnessing the dedication of the hospice nursing staff and their volunteers is a humbling experience. With little in the way of resources, a hospital ward of some twenty beds has been created to ease the suffering of AIDS victims. Over 300 auxiliary nurses have been trained to provide basic care for patients in the community. But this is still woefully inadequate when faced with an estimated 1,200,000 Aids sufferers in Soweto alone.

Mr Chidgey followed up the campaign launch with Sir Bob in a Parliamentary debate on AIDS in Africa. He highlighted the criticism of the Government by the National Audit Office for failing to ensure that funding provided by the UK was targeted effectively.