Ninety Organizations Call on Congress to Save $1 Billion in Proposed Global AIDS Funding
Funding increase is critical to turning the tide against deadly pandemic, groups warn.
Washington, DC, January 12, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Today, World Vision and some 90 other organizations joined together to urge U.S. House and Senate leaders to increase funding for programs combating global HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria.
In an open letter to policymakers, the groups called on Congress to pass a final number in the FY 2007 budget that, at minimum, matches the proposed Senate number of $4.36 billion in FY 2007. If Congress maintains global AIDS funding at the FY 2006 level, it will be more than $1 billion less than the figure the Senate proposed for 2007.
“We urge Members of Congress to keep the battle against global AIDS a priority in the new Congress,” said Robert Zachritz, World Vision’s Senior Policy Advisor for Global Development. “AIDS, TB and malaria are global killers on the greatest scale, and we can’t win this fight if funding doesn’t keep pace.”
The Senate funding level of $4.36 billion for these programs included the following elements, which World Vision and other signatories are urging Congress to pass:
· $3.42 billion for bilateral AIDS, TB and research programs, including activities in 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).
“What’s at stake are programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, provide antiretrovirals to HIV-infected women and men, care for children orphaned by AIDS, control the spread of deadly TB and malaria and more,” said Zachritz. “We are talking about saving lives and preserving healthy communities in the world’s poorest countries.”
###
For more information, please contact Rachel Wolff at 253.815.2072 or 253.394.2214.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.
Note to Editors: Text of letter follows.
January 10, 2007
The Honorable Robert C. Byrd
Chairman, Appropriations Committee
S-128 Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Thad Cochran
Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
S-125A Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable David R. Obey
Chairman, Appropriations Committee
H-218 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairmen Byrd and Obey and Ranking Members Cochran and Lewis:
While there are significant challenges, as you finalize the FY 2007 process through a year-long continuing 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 eliminate the opportunity to extend AIDS treatment to 350,000 in urgent need.
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,
Action Group for Rural Organisations (AGRO)
Advocates for Youth
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families
AIDS Drug Assistance Protocol Fund
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
Africa Action
Africa Faith and Justice Network
Africa Fighting Malaria
Africa Services Committee
African Communities Against Malaria (ACAM)
African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO)
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
Allies Linked for the Prevention of HIV & AIDS
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Medical Student Association
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Anti TB / HIV Center of Adjame – Ivory Coast
Associacao dos Tecnicos Agro Pecuarios (ATAP)-Mozambique
Church Women United
Church World Service
Columbia University - Mailman School of Public Health
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
CrossLink International
DATA – Debt AIDS Trade Africa
Development Finance International, Inc.
Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa World Council of Churches
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, HIV Services Program
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Environmental and Community Health Outreach Foundation
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa
Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research (FIAR) Brooklyn, NY
Foundation for Study and Research on Women (FEIM)
Freedom from Hunger
Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Fundación Apoyo y Solidaridad
FXB International
Gentle Spirit Christian Church of Atlanta
Georgia Rural Urban Summit
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Action for Children
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Global Health Advocates
Global Health Council
Global Rights: Partners for Justice
Health GAP
HIV Advocacy Council of Oregon and SW Washington
HIV Medicine Association
HIVictorious, Inc.
Housing Works, Inc.
ICW Namibia
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
International AIDS Women's Caucus - IAWC
International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
International Women’s Health Coalition
Intersect Worldwide
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs
John Snow, Inc.
KAIPPG International
KAIPPG Kenya
Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network (LACWHN)
Latin American Network of PLWHA - RedLa+
MAP International
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
Mozambican Treatment Access Movement
NAACP
National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe
Open Society Policy Center
PATH
Patients not Patents
Peoples Alliance to Combat HIV/AIDS
Physicians for Human Rights
Population Services International (PSI)
Positive Womens Network
Project Inform
Public Personalities Against Aids Trust
Redeem (Intl) Community Health Consult
Results
SAfAIDS
Save Africa’s Children
Science with a Mission
South Carolina Campaign to End AIDS
Southern African Network of AIDS Service Organizations (SANASO)
Student Campaign for Child Survival
Student Global AIDS Campaign
TB Alert
The AIDS Institute
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The Community of PLHIV, Moscow, Russia
The Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand
The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
The National Forum of PLHA Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU)
Treatment Action Group (TAG)
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Vestergaard Frandsen Inc
World AIDS Campaign
World Learning
World Vision
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Nigeria
In an open letter to policymakers, the groups called on Congress to pass a final number in the FY 2007 budget that, at minimum, matches the proposed Senate number of $4.36 billion in FY 2007. If Congress maintains global AIDS funding at the FY 2006 level, it will be more than $1 billion less than the figure the Senate proposed for 2007.
“We urge Members of Congress to keep the battle against global AIDS a priority in the new Congress,” said Robert Zachritz, World Vision’s Senior Policy Advisor for Global Development. “AIDS, TB and malaria are global killers on the greatest scale, and we can’t win this fight if funding doesn’t keep pace.”
The Senate funding level of $4.36 billion for these programs included the following elements, which World Vision and other signatories are urging Congress to pass:
· $3.42 billion for bilateral AIDS, TB and research programs, including activities in 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).
“What’s at stake are programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, provide antiretrovirals to HIV-infected women and men, care for children orphaned by AIDS, control the spread of deadly TB and malaria and more,” said Zachritz. “We are talking about saving lives and preserving healthy communities in the world’s poorest countries.”
###
For more information, please contact Rachel Wolff at 253.815.2072 or 253.394.2214.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.
Note to Editors: Text of letter follows.
January 10, 2007
The Honorable Robert C. Byrd
Chairman, Appropriations Committee
S-128 Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Thad Cochran
Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
S-125A Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable David R. Obey
Chairman, Appropriations Committee
H-218 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Jerry Lewis
Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee
1016 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairmen Byrd and Obey and Ranking Members Cochran and Lewis:
While there are significant challenges, as you finalize the FY 2007 process through a year-long continuing 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 eliminate the opportunity to extend AIDS treatment to 350,000 in urgent need.
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,
Action Group for Rural Organisations (AGRO)
Advocates for Youth
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families
AIDS Drug Assistance Protocol Fund
AIDS Project Los Angeles
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
Africa Action
Africa Faith and Justice Network
Africa Fighting Malaria
Africa Services Committee
African Communities Against Malaria (ACAM)
African Council of AIDS Service Organizations (AfriCASO)
African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF)
Allies Linked for the Prevention of HIV & AIDS
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Medical Student Association
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Anti TB / HIV Center of Adjame – Ivory Coast
Associacao dos Tecnicos Agro Pecuarios (ATAP)-Mozambique
Church Women United
Church World Service
Columbia University - Mailman School of Public Health
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
CrossLink International
DATA – Debt AIDS Trade Africa
Development Finance International, Inc.
Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa World Council of Churches
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, HIV Services Program
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Environmental and Community Health Outreach Foundation
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa
Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research (FIAR) Brooklyn, NY
Foundation for Study and Research on Women (FEIM)
Freedom from Hunger
Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Fundación Apoyo y Solidaridad
FXB International
Gentle Spirit Christian Church of Atlanta
Georgia Rural Urban Summit
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Action for Children
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC)
Global Health Advocates
Global Health Council
Global Rights: Partners for Justice
Health GAP
HIV Advocacy Council of Oregon and SW Washington
HIV Medicine Association
HIVictorious, Inc.
Housing Works, Inc.
ICW Namibia
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative
International AIDS Women's Caucus - IAWC
International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
International Women’s Health Coalition
Intersect Worldwide
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs
John Snow, Inc.
KAIPPG International
KAIPPG Kenya
Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network (LACWHN)
Latin American Network of PLWHA - RedLa+
MAP International
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
Mozambican Treatment Access Movement
NAACP
National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe
Open Society Policy Center
PATH
Patients not Patents
Peoples Alliance to Combat HIV/AIDS
Physicians for Human Rights
Population Services International (PSI)
Positive Womens Network
Project Inform
Public Personalities Against Aids Trust
Redeem (Intl) Community Health Consult
Results
SAfAIDS
Save Africa’s Children
Science with a Mission
South Carolina Campaign to End AIDS
Southern African Network of AIDS Service Organizations (SANASO)
Student Campaign for Child Survival
Student Global AIDS Campaign
TB Alert
The AIDS Institute
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The Community of PLHIV, Moscow, Russia
The Hospice Association of the Witwatersrand
The International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)
The National Forum of PLHA Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU)
Treatment Action Group (TAG)
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Vestergaard Frandsen Inc
World AIDS Campaign
World Learning
World Vision
Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Nigeria
Contact
World Vision
Rachel Wolff
253.815.2072
www.worldvision.org/press
cell: 253.394.2214
Rachel Wolff
253.815.2072
www.worldvision.org/press
cell: 253.394.2214
Contact
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