March 20, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

As you finalize your Fiscal Year 2010 budget, we urge you to include $2.7 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which represents one-third of the global need.

Since its inception in 2002, the Global Fund has committed almost $15 billion in 140 countries to support large-scale prevention, treatment and care programs against the three diseases. Global Fund-funded programs have produced these results:
HIV/AIDS: More than 2 million people on anti-retroviral therapy. 62 million HIV counseling and testing sessions; 3.2 million orphans provided with medical services, education and community care.
Tuberculosis: 4.6 million people treated under DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short course).
Malaria: 70 million insecticide treated bed nets distributed; 74 million people treated.

The Global Fund provides nearly a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally, two-thirds for tuberculosis, and three-quarters for malaria. Through these efforts, the Global Fund has saved 3.5 million lives.

Based on these achievements, in 2007 the Global Fund Board, which includes the United States, agreed to expand the size of the Global Fund to up to $8 billion per year by 2010, subject to the submission of quality proposals. This decision was reaffirmed by donor countries at the 2007 G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. Implementing countries have responded to this invitation and are submitting bold proposals, and in November 2008 the Board approved its biggest funding round ever – $2.75 billion for new programs to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

This historic success has created a need for additional resources and an opportunity to capitalize on previous investments in combating these diseases. The Global Fund currently projects an $8 billion need for new and continuing programs in FY2010. The U.S. has historically provided nearly one-third of all contributions to the Global Fund, and should continue this support by allocating $2.7 billion in FY2010. Continued U.S. leadership and the work of other donors to fully fund the Global Fund is essential to ensuring life-saving proposals are not delayed or scaled back.

Continued U.S. leadership in the Global Fund not only supports existing successful programs and is in line with U.S. global health interests, but also allows us to seize significant new opportunities. The Global Fund is a country-led, performance based partnership that embraces transparency and accountability, and fosters multilateral cooperation. Fully funded, the Global Fund is poised to continue its innovation in addressing diseases of poverty. In addition to supporting these diseases programs, the Global Fund is expanding efforts to support comprehensive, integrated health systems, strategies, and infrastructures of these countries. Moreover, the Global Fund's Gender Equality Strategy will strengthen the response to the vulnerability of women and girls to disease, particularly HIV/AIDS. Fully funding the Global Fund will ensure robust implementation of these new initiatives.

We recognize that budget constraints force difficult choices, but we urge you to consider the impact of the economic crisis on the health of the poor and marginalized around the world. These diseases already impede economic development. Loss of productivity due to tuberculosis drains $16 billion from the annual incomes of the world's poorest communities. In Africa, malaria is estimated to cost $12 billion per year in lost GDP, and AIDS threatens to reduce GDP by up to 2.6 percent. It is important that the United States continues to support programs that work, and the Global Fund has proven itself to be an effective and efficient tool to combat these diseases of poverty.

The economic, strategic and moral case for this contribution to the Global Fund is clear. We urge you to include $2.7 billion for the Global Fund in your FY2010 budget, and we stand ready to help build support for this investment. Thank you for your leadership in maintaining our commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Sincerely,
ACT UP Philadelphia
Advocates for Youth
Africa Action
African Services Committee
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
AIDS Project Los Angeles
American Council on Science and Health
American Jewish World Service
American Medical Student Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
American Thoracic Society
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Artists for a New South Africa
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP)
CORE Group
Curamericas Global, Inc.
Development Finance International, Inc.
Friends of the Global Fight
Global Action for Children
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Health Council
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Harlem United
Harvard Global Health and AIDS Coalition
Health GAP
HIVictorious, Inc.
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Interfaith Action on Global Poverty
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
International Women's Health Coalition
Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs
Kwikpoint
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Malaria No More
Missionary Oblates Justice and Peace Office (OMI-JPIC)
Open Society Policy Center
Partners in Health
PATH
Physicians for Human Rights
Population Services International (PSI)
Proyecto Sol Filadelphia
RESULTS
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)
Student Global AIDS Campaign
The AIDS Institute
Treatment Action Group
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United Nations Foundation
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines
University Coalitions for Global Health (UCGH)
Vestergaard Frandsen, Inc.

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