E-drug: Global Fund: Activists demand focus on AIDS treatment
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Health GAP (Global Access Project) Coalition / Act Up-Paris /
STOPAIDS Nigeria
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: 24 April 2002
Contact: Sharonann Lynch, Health GAP +1 917 612-3058
Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria Announces first
Grant Recipients.
Activists demand focus on AIDS treatment, increased funds to meet
overwhelming need.
(New York) As the second board meeting of the Global Fund to
fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) draws to a close in
New York City, Board members decided to disburse money to
grantees at a level that bankrupts the Fund�s money on hand.
The second round of Fund disbursements will come in or around
September; GFATM members claim that funding requests for the
second round will be much larger, as applicants will have more time
to complete quality proposals. The contributions to the Fund,
already paltry, will not be enough to cover the overwhelming need
of countries as they submit proposals to provide HIV/AIDS
treatment.
Activists claim the Fund missed an opportunity to save lives now.
They point to the fact that half the countries hardest hit by HIV,
tuberculosis, and malaria will not be reached by Fund resources in
this cycle. In addition, the few proposals that included AIDS drug
access will result in treatment for no more than 40,000 people, out
of the 10 million worldwide in need of immediate treatment.
�This can not be just another Fund--the Board members must
re-commit themselves to closing the deadly gap in access to
life-extending medicines by prioritizing funding for HIV treatment,�
said Sharonann Lynch of Health GAP.
"Proposals for HIV treatment must be prioritized front and center for
the second round of funding," said Atiqa Chajai of Association de
Lutte Contre le Sida (ALCS), a community AIDS organization in
Morocco.
According to a press statement released by Milly Katana, Global
Fund board member, the developing country NGO delegation "will
call on Southern countries to lead by example by committing
substantial funds and submitting innovative, treatment-inclusive
proposals that would bring treatments for drug-resistant malaria and
tuberculosis, as well as antiretrovirals to regions that need them
most."
Activists contend it is time to redress 15-years of donor countries
discouraging countries from developing treatment programs and
refusing to include treatment as part of bilateral programs. They
point to the fact that the ambitions of the Fund were significantly
scaled back by donor countries. Several developing countries
reported external pressure by donor countries to scale down their
Fund requests. The Financial Times (22 April 2002) reported a case
where the government of Malawi was pressured to decrease the
scope and amount requested in their proposal.
"The second round of funding will be a disaster unless there are
new resources from the U.S. and other donor countries, and unless
the Board puts HIV treatment front and center," said, Pearl Nwashili
of Stop AIDS Nigeria, "The Fund must not betray the millions of
people living with HIV/AIDS that hung their hope, their future on
this Fund to fill the empty medicine cabinets."
Shortly Congress will consider a request for $700 million for the
Global Fund for 2002, which would likely leverage dramatic
increases in donor country contributions.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-sponsor of the amendment said "We
must not move at a snails pace as this plague gallops away from
us."
Activists demand:
--Wealthy countries commit substantial resources to the Global
Fund. The US government for year 2003 should contribute $2
billion and Congress should pass the emergency supplemental
request for $700 million for the Global Fund for 2002.
--Fund officials commit to prioritizing funding HIV treatment for the
next round of proposals.
--UN agencies and Foundations lend technical assistance to
countries for creation of HIV treatment programs, as well as plans
to scale up existing treatment programs.
--
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