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.