[procaare] Global Fund : Activists demand focus on AIDS Treatment

[Olivier Jablonski <procaare@usa.healthnet.org>]

Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria Announces first Grant Recipients
Activists demand focus on AIDS treatment, increased funds to meet overwhelming need
**********

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

(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.


Forwarded to ProCAARE by: Olivier Jablonski <ojablonski@free.fr>

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