Responding to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the biggest development challenges of the 21st century, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said yesterday.
Ms O'Donnell, who has special responsibility for overseas development assistance and human rights, said more than 2.6 million people died of AIDS last year, 95 per cent of them in developing countries.
A further 33.4 million people were living with the virus.
"As a result of the epidemic, much of the developing world entering the 21st century is watching the gains of the 20th century evaporate," she said.
The Minister was speaking at the launch in Dublin of Ireland Aid's HIV/AIDS strategy which aims to support prevention of the infection and a reduction of its impact in developing countries.
She used the opportunity to announce an increase of £1 million in funding of the Ireland Aid programme this year to target those affected. This will bring direct spending by Ireland Aid on the fight against HIV/AIDS in 2000 to £2.5 million.
"The impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa has been, and continues to be, devastating. Families are being destroyed. Communities are disintegrating. Women and children are being pushed further into poverty," she said.
"People in their most productive years are being lost from the labour force. Young people are becoming dependent on older relatives.
"In short, HIV/AIDS is undermining the social fabric of developing countries and setting back prospects of economic productivity and growth."
"We can sometimes forget that behind the statistics are real people, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters," Ms O`Donnell said.
People in developing countries were denied access to treatment because of the high costs involved.
"HIV/AIDS has two different outcomes in two different worlds. It is treatable in more developed countries; it is terminal in developing countries," she said.
The EU is to review its approach to HIV and AIDS, and Ms O'Donnell pledged to press for a stronger approach at an informal meeting of development ministers in Lisbon.