With 2 million deaths and an estimated 33 million people living with HIV worldwide in 2007, HIV and AIDS represents a global pandemic with its epicentre in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2008). In response to the epidemic, Ireland has made a high-level political commitment to combating HIV and AIDS as central to the promotion of poverty reduction and overall sustainable development.

The Irish Aid response to the HIV and AIDS challenge is multi-dimensional and is simultaneously delivered at global, regional and national levels via a range of modalities and organisations. These span support to a number of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa which are most affected by the pandemic, funding for NGOs, and multilateral cooperation through international organisations such as UNAIDS and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

In the period covered by this review, 2000-2007, a total of €340m was specifically dedicated to HIV and AIDS interventions. The report includes the following key findings and recommendations:

• Irish Aid funding is contributing to significant results with, for example, a reduction in HIV prevalence among adults (aged 15-49) in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region worst hit by the pandemic.
• In the context of its HIV and AIDS programme, Irish Aid should increase its efforts to promote aid effectiveness with its global and national partners and that the new HIV and AIDS policy has a strong focus in this area.
Overall, this review finds that the Irish Aid response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic is not only a justified and valid application of public funds to help address a critical need, but the response is also characterised by a high degree of relevance and coherence.  The full report can be accessed below.