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Dear Friend,

I want to share one of our successes during this past year to explain why our work is so valuable. In 2008, Health GAP worked with our allies around the world to triple the US government’s investment in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria overseas by increasing the funding level for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program to $48 billion over the next five years.

This unprecedented commitment to global health was not inevitable; it happened because of the creative, strategic and relentless advocacy work that Health GAP helps lead. We turned up the heat on the Bush administration and Congress when we first heard they were actually considering scaling back our global AIDS program. We educated the media about how to interpret and cover the story. We relayed information to our partners on the frontlines around the world. And we made fighting HIV/AIDS here and abroad an issue during the presidential election. One of our most exciting campaign activities was our “birddogger” network. Health GAP coordinated a national network of activists question presidential candidates at events throughout the country about their HIV/AIDS positions, which led to surprisingly ambitious commitments from both Democratic and Republican candidates, including President-Elect Obama. It is because of these audacious victories that I became involved.

Despite this year’s legislative victory, the US government’s commitment to fight HIV/AIDS in poor countries remains uncertain because Congress and the incoming Obama administration must still approve this higher funding level each year. US government officials, as well as other wealthy countries, have begun saying that tough economic times are an excuse to step back from funding the goal of universal access to HIV medications by 2013, a goal we and other nations agreed to through the United Nations. Health GAP is committed to redoubling our efforts to ensure all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to medication and healthcare, which is why we are asking for your support.

Funding is not the only challenge that threatens to derail our goal of ensuring all people living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of their means or where they live, have access to treatment. Health GAP also works to expand access to health care overall in poor areas of the world, end unfair trade policies that block access to medication, and promote greater health spending by national governments in the countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Despite all the reasons for pessimism, we are excited about the future of Health GAP and our vision. For example, we are partnering with the World Health Organization and organizations in the Global South to conduct extensive research on the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and local health care systems. We will use this research to not only improve both the quality and access to health care services overall, but also to support local and national campaigns to increase government accountability to address HIV/AIDS.

In order to build our movement and keep our long-time supporters up to date, Health GAP has also created Global ACCESS. This leadership training program will consist of monthly distance learning calls to educate AIDS activists from around the world about the complex issues that keep HIV medications out of reach from millions of people around the world and to provide a regular space to plan together across borders. If you would like to learn more about Global ACCESS, contact kaytee@healthgap.org.

We deeply appreciate your support. Thank you for your commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Sincerely,

Health GAP

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