Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Mon, 28 Jan 2002
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* Bush Plans to Include $200 Million for Global AIDS Fund in Fiscal
Year 2003 Budget Proposal
* South African Anglican Archbishop Calls Government Denial of Nevi-
rapine to HIV-Positive Pregnant Women a 'Sin'
* Sept. 11 Attacks 'Sidelined' AIDS in United States, Irish Times
Column Says
Bush Plans to Include $200 Million for Global AIDS Fund in Fiscal
Year 2003 Budget Proposal
The Bush administration announced yesterday that its budget proposal
for fiscal year 2003, which begins Oct. 1, includes a $200 million
contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Ma-
laria, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports. Half of the pledge amount
will come from HHS, and half will come from the U.S. Agency for In-
ternational Development (AP/Los Angeles Times, 1/28). The United
States gave $200 million to the fund -- which currently totals $1.6
billion -- in the current budget year as well. "While I'm heartened
by [Bush's] participation in this effort, a much larger sum is what I
would like to see," Jim Mitulski, co-chair of San Francisco's Mayors
HIV Health Services Council, said, adding that he and others are
"counting on the president to act as a statesman and counter the im-
age that the Republican Party doesn't care about social outcasts"
(AP/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 1/27). Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive direc-
tor of the coalition group Global AIDS Alliance, said on NPR's "Morn-
ing Edition" today that he and his coalition found Bush's pledge to
the fund "outrageous," adding that "global experts estimate that the
cost to stop AIDS is about $10 billion per year, and the U.S. invest-
ment of $200 million into the global fund is really deeply disap-
pointing" ("Morning Edition," NPR, 1/28). The announcement of the
pledge coincides with the fund's first board meeting, which is today
and tomorrow in Geneva, where the 18-member group will accept new do-
nations and finalize the fund management framework (AP/Ft. Worth
Star-Telegram, 1/27).
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South African Anglican Archbishop Calls Government Denial of Nevirap-
ine to HIV-Positive Pregnant Women a 'Sin'
The Anglican archbishop of South Africa, Njongonkulu Ndungane, on
Friday called the South African government policy that prevents HIV-
positive pregnant women from receiving the antiretroviral nevirapine
to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission a "sin," Reuters reports.
The South African government is appealing a High Court ruling that
would force the country under "constitutional duty" to "increase ac-
cess" to nevirapine, which has been shown to reduce the risk of ver-
tical HIV transmission rates by 50%. The government argues that the
drug is "costly" and that its safety is questionable. Medical ex-
perts, however, say that the drug is a "life saver" and has only
"limited" side effects. Ndungane said, "If the life of a child rests