The fight against HIV/AIDS must remain a top priority for the European Union, as 39 million lives in the world have been lost to AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic, said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
In a statement to mark World Aids Day today, she said we must help more than 35 million people living with AIDS, mostly in developing countries.
"Still, impressive progress has been made over the past decade with an increasing number of people now having access to life-saving treatment," she noted.
She said that the EU spends an average of 500 million euro of development funds on health every year, in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the disease.
"As a founding member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the European Commission has contributed to its significant results. We recognise the Global Fund as one of the most valuable tools at our disposal in fulfilling our commitment to combat HIV/AIDS, " added Mogherini.