Beijing - China called on developed countries to honor commitments and offer necessary financial and technical assistance to developing nations for AIDS intervention.

The comments came after the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria halted $23 million in financial support for China due to alleged doubt about the way the money was being used.

"It is important to strengthen international cooperation and the international community should now translate commitments into concrete actions and make more efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide," said Li Baodong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, at an open debate of the UN Security Council on HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS medicine and treatment are costly, and developing countries face serious difficulties in finance and technology in the prevention and treatment of such an epidemic, according to Li.

"Therefore, developed countries must extend a helping hand to developing nations. International organizations and funds, including the UN, must strengthen their coordination and help developing countries, particularly those in sub-Sahara Africa, in their fight against the epidemic," he said.

In late May, the Global Fund, a Geneva-based international organization that provides funding for disease control work worldwide, temporarily suspended grant payments to China pending the resolution of a number of issues, largely related to civil society participation and the management of funds, previous reports said.

The sudden halt of all funds, except for life-saving medications, jeopardizes HIV/AIDS intervention as disease transmission does not wait for funds to be available, said the World Health Organization's Beijing office on May 25.

He Tiantian, who heads the Women's Network against AIDS, a grassroots society based in Beijing, said that was heavy blow for groups like hers that receive funds from the organization.

"Of course there are many aspects of China's HIV/AIDS control work by both the government and social forces, which need to be further improved. However, out of concern for those living with HIV/AIDS in China who benefit from programs financed by the fund, it's definitely a bad idea to suspend the financial assistance," she told China Daily.

Meng Lin, the coordinator of the secretariat of the China Alliance of People Living with HIV/AIDS, agreed with He and said: "we are hopeful that the two sides will be able to work the problems out and enhance cooperation and coordination to better help the sufferers in the country."

China Daily

(China Daily 06/09/2011 page3)