Action Alert: Organizational Sign-On for Increased Funding on Global AIDS, TB, & Malaria

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ACTION ALERT-- ORGANIZATION SIGN ON

INCREASED FUNDING ON GLOBAL AIDS, TB, & MALARIA

3 January 2007

In the near future, Congress will consider a Continuing Resolution to finalize the FY 2007 appropriations bills, including funding for global AIDS, TB and malaria programs. In an effort to ensure that these programs remain a priority, attached and below is a sign-on letter urging support for the Senate level of $4.36 billion for these programs, including $700 million for the Global Fund. If your organization would like to sign-on, please send an email to mike@... with your organization's name by COB Tuesday, January 9th.

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January 10, 2007

The Honorable C. Byrd The Honorable R. Obey

Chairman, Appropriations Committee Chairman, Appropriations Committee

S-128 Capitol H-218 Capitol

Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Byrd and Chairman Obey:

We recognize that with the end of the 109th Congress, you were given no good options to complete the FY 2007 appropriations bills. While there are significant challenges, as you finalize the FY 2007 process through a year-long joint resolution, we are hopeful that you will consider increased funding for global HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria programs as a priority. At minimum, we urge you to support the Senate-funding level of $4.36 billion for these programs, including:

$3.42 billion for bilateral AIDS, TB and research programs, including activities in the 15 focus countries;

$700 million for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and

$234 million for bilateral malaria programs, including full funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).

With the creation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003, the United States made an historic commitment to battle HIV/AIDS. Centered on the rapid scale-up of prevention, care and treatment programs in 15 countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, these programs have played a key role in our response to the global pandemic. As of September 30, 2006, the Emergency Plan has supported antiretroviral treatment for 822,000 people in the focus countries, with sixty-one percent of those supported being women. In addition, the Emergency Plan has provided HIV testing and counseling to 18.7 million people; prevention of mother-to-child HIV services for women during more than 6 million pregnancies; and, care to 4.5 million orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS. Level funding would result in a loss of up to $700 million for the 15 focus countries. As a result, 280,000 fewer people will be put on treatment.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is also a critical component to our response to these deadly diseases. Created in 2002, the Global Fund has played a leading role in fighting AIDS, TB and malaria around the world. In just a few short years, it has grown into an organization with $6.8 billion committed to programs in 136 countries, and now provides 20 percent of the world’s AIDS financing, and two-thirds of all donor-funding for TB and malaria each. As a result of its work, 770,000 people are receiving life-saving AIDS medication, 2 million people have been treated for TB, and more than 18 million bed nets have been distributed to prevent children from getting malaria. The Global Fund is also working with bilateral programs to confront extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), a growing emergency that threatens to undermine not only basic TB control but also AIDS treatment roll-out. This further highlights the urgent need to support the Global Fund and aggressive bilateral TB and TB-HIV programs, especially in Africa. For every $100 million taken away, the Global Fund will not be able to purchase:

· 630,000 bed nets to fight malaria;

· 150,000 treatments for malaria;

· 370,000 HIV tests;

· Provide 11,000 people with AIDS treatment; and

· Purchase 80,000 treatments for TB.

In addition to the Global Fund, the President’s Malaria Initiative and other bilateral programs are also central to the U.S. response to malaria. Announced in 2005, the PMI is a five year, $1.2 billion program to fight the disease in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. In a short period of time, the PMI program is achieving significant results. By the end of November 2006, PMI was supporting activities benefiting over 6 million people in the initial three countries of Tanzania, Angola and Uganda. With the announcement of the last of the 15 “focus” countries at last month’s White House Summit on Malaria, it is critical to sustain these important programs. Since the PMI’s first year of new, increased funding is FY2007, level-funding will mean there will not be continued scale up of current programs and expansion to four additional focus countries. This will have a significant impact on reaching the initiative’s goal of reducing malaria deaths by 50% in each of the target countries after three years of implementation.

Continuing these critical programs with level funding will have a serious impact on our ability to turn the tide against these diseases. Without additional resources, we will not be able to keep pace with the pandemic. We are hopeful that with your leadership, these programs will be a central priority in the new Congress. Thank you for your longstanding commitment in the battle against HIV/AIDS. We appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

DATA – Debt AIDS Trade Africa

Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Global AIDS Alliance

Cc:

The Honorable Pelosi

The Honorable Steny Hoyer

The Honorable Harry Reid

The Honorable J. Durbin