Kampala — THE United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Global Fund, renewing their commitment to fight the pandemic.

"We are starting a new phase in the fight against AIDS," said Dr. Peter Piot, the UNAIDS executive director.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday in Kampala, aims at achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.

It also intends to improve the effectiveness of aid by financing national plans, consolidating grants and defining shared monitoring indicators with major partners.

"Partnerships are an essential component in the fight against AIDS because the Global Fund is not a single funding entity," said Michel Kazatchkine, the fund's executive director.

He revealed that the board had endorsed Round Eight of financial assistance, which will be launched later this year.

The Global Fund was set up to finance a dramatic turn-around in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. To date, it has committed $10.7b in 136 countries to support interventions against the three diseases.