This morning, powerful U.S. Senators announced they would would amend an emergency spending bill currently before congress to include $700 million new dollars for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

As "emergency spending," the new money will be immediately available quickly after the President signs the bill. The Senate is expected to vote on the measure in May. President Bush is not expected to oppose nor embrace the new contribution.

"Senators Specter and Durbin are correcting the damage done to the Global Fund when President Bush made his criminally small inaugural donation of $200 million last year. By setting the entry bar for all donors so low, the White House hobbled the fund at its launch," reported Health GAP's Sharonann Lynch.

"Experts from UNAIDS gauged the cost of a credible intervention in the global AIDS disaster at $9.3 billion yearly," stated ACT UP Philadelphia's Asia Russell. "Senators Specter and Durbin are providing urgently needed leadership by providing a significant boost to the Global Fund at this critical start-up stage."

Senator Durbin and Specter hold seats on the powerful appropriations committee that controls the purse strings of the U.S. Government. Specter, from Pennsylvania, is the ranking Republican on the Health and Human Services subcommittee. Durbin is a Democrat from Illinois, and is a member of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Appropriations committee members are able to work on spending bills in committee before a bill reaches the Senate floor.

Senators Helms (R, NC) and Frist (R, TN) are also leading a concurrent drive to add $500 million in the emergency spending bill to prevent mother-to- child HIV transmission in poor countries. Senator Helms stated in a letter on April 10 that he would turn the money over to the State Department, which would be welcome to send a portion to the Global Fund.

Passage of both of these amendments or a combination is guaranteed. Concurrently, a bipartisan group of House members are also crafting a bill that will include a contribution for the Global Fund and other additions for global health.

The Global Fund is certain to have received a substantial new contribution in time for its second round of funding later this year.

On Thursday the Global AIDS Fund will announce grant awards for applications totaling with a total first-year cost of $168 million. The proposals are funded for the entire 5-year length of the programs, and, pending successful performance the grant awarded tomorrow will cost a total of $841 million over the 5 year life of the grants. At the same time, the Fund will also provisionally approve an additional $96 million (5 year total: $678 million), subject to minor revisions by the applicants. This second tier of applications are all expected to quickly pass muster, bringing the total first-year costs to $264 million, and the total 5 years costs will reach $1.519 billion. Additionally, at least some of a third tier of proposals needing more significant review will be approved for funding before the next GFATM board meeting in September.

"This additional funding from US Congress is exceptionally urgent right now. With no new applications, the Global Fund is already headed for bankruptcy in its second year.

The additional resources are critical now because the second round of applications this summer are expected to be much larger than the first," said Health GAP's Paul Davis. "The second round will contain larger AIDS treatment components. The total costs are expected to triple by the September Board meeting."

"This guarantee of quick new money from the US Government is a boon to the 40 million people with AIDS with no access to medicine."