Corruption is limiting the impact of efforts to control the spread of HIV and to treat people living with AIDS in many parts of the world.

Corruption affecting HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment does not look very different from corruption found in other areas of the health sector. However, the scale of the pandemic, the stigma attached to the disease and the high costs of drugs to treat it magnify the problem.

The issue
A Technical Approach paper by the HLSP Institute looks at the nature of the disease and why it is particularly vulnerable to corruption. The paper discusses the impact of the growing demand for costly treatment, and looks at national and international responses, and why they may be fuelling corruption. At national level, the problem is compounded by the fact that the HIV response is being implemented through weak government systems, where corruption is endemic. At the same time, international donors and other parallel systems are under pressure to disburse more funds more quickly - thus increasing the risks of corruption.

Global Corruption Report 2006
The HLSP Institute has been commissioned by Transparency International to write about the link between corruption and HIV/AIDS for the Global Corruption Report 2006, which focuses on health. Use the links on the right to download the report from Transparency International's website.

Seminar on corruption and health
Following the launch of the Global Corruption Report, a seminar was held at the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to discuss the main messages of the GCR and draw conclusions about the implications for development agencies. Participants included health and governance specialists from DFID, staff from the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service, representatives from NGOs and the academic community. The seminar was jointly organised by Transparency International and HLSP Institute.

The discussion covered, among the rest, the nature of corruption in the health sector and the issue of fake and substandard drug supplies in Nigeria. To find out more, you can download our note from the seminar, and our presentation on Corruption and AIDS.