ACTION REQUESTED: Organizational Sign-on for Global Fund

[Guest guest]

URGENT

ACTION REQUESTED: ORGANIZATIONAL SIGN-ON LETTER

11 March 2005

Senators

Santorum and Durbin will introduce a budget amendment

next week providing $800 million for the Global Fund in addition to full funding for President Bush’s

bilateral program. Attached is a sign-on letter. To help support the amendment,

please send me the full name of your organization by this Monday afternoon at 3pm.

Send email to aroberts@...

Thanks,

Ashleigh

Ashleigh

Senior Policy Analyst

Global Health Council

aroberts@...

Tel: (202) 833-5900

Fax: (202) 833-0075

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March 11, 2005

As organizations

committed to the fight against AIDS, we are writing to urge you to support the

Santorum-Durbin amendment that calls for $800 million for the Global Fund to

Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, affirming the principle that the US

should provide one-third of the Global Fund’s income. The additional

funding would be offset through the 920 Account. By including this additional

funding, Congress will send a strong challenge to other donors in Europe and elsewhere to increase their contributions to the

Global Fund.

With grants to 127

countries and 44 percent of funds targeting tuberculosis and malaria, the

Global Fund extends and complements bilateral investment in fighting AIDS,

including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief’s (PEPFAR)

special focus in 15 highly-affected countries. The Global Fund also

offers a unique opportunity to leverage additional dollars from international

donors – all US contributions to date have been matched on a two-to-one

basis by others. Over the past three years, U.S. contributions have enabled Global Fund programs to

provide AIDS treatment to 130,000 people, treated nearly 400,000 people for TB,

and distributed more than 1.3 million bed nets to protect families from

malaria.

The Santorum-Durbin

amendment would create a total allocation of $3.7 billion for the fight against

global AIDS in the FY2006 budget, including $2.9 billion for the bilateral

programs of PEPFAR and $800 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria. This unprecedented bipartisan action by Senators

Santorum and Durbin reaffirms that the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria is

one that can and must unite people of all political ideologies. With six

million people dying every year, we do not have a moment to lose. You have been

a strong leader in this fight and we hope that you will vote for the

Santorum-Durbin amendment.

Sincerely,

Organizations will be

listed here alphabetically