UK pledges extra £6 billion in HIV funding

The UK government has will provide increased funding for HIV prevention and treatment in poorer countries.

Douglas Alexander, secretary of state, has announced that an extra £6 billion will be spent on improving health services over the next seven years.

The extra funding is in addition to the money which the UK pledged to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Last year it promised to give £1 billion to the Global Fund over seven years.

Mr Alexander said that the new funding highlighted the UK's commitment to the global fight against the disease.

"In light of the significant increases in resources committed to tackle Aids in recent years, this strategy meets the new challenge identified by the evidence: the need to strengthen health systems and services," he added.

Japan recently committed to spend $560 million (£284 million) from 2009 to the Global Fund. It hopes primarily to help alleviate the epidemic conditions currently seen in Africa.