For Immediate Release: 29 APRIL 2003
Contact: Paul Davis: +1 215 833-4102

Activists call on House to quickly pass Hyde-Lantos Global AIDS Bill;
Urge Senate to Strengthen Support for Global Fund

President Bush announced his support for the House bill during a White House speech today. The bill is expected to come to the House floor as soon as Thursday, May 1. The AIDS activist organization Health GAP today urged Congress to quickly pass a bill to authorize $3 billion dollars for global AIDS by 2004, with at least $1 billion for the Global Fund. "The House should immediately pass the Hyde-Lantos AIDS bill, while strengthening the House Committee's support for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," stated Health GAP's Mark Milano.

"Instead of giving discretion to the President on how much -- if any -- to contribute to the Global Fund, the Senate should take every possible step to strengthen the Hyde-Lantos bill by guaranteeing at least $1.2 billion for the Global Fund in 2004," stated Professor Brook Baker from Health GAP. "The Constitution gives Congress power over the checkbook. The final decision on how much goes to the Global Fund must not be left to go-it-alone Bush."

During the White House event today, President Bush spoke of the "success story" of the GHESKIO program in Port au Prince, Haiti, which is expanding to 25 treatment and care sites to serve the poorest parts of Haiti. "I though it was pretty crass of President Bush to cite a program as a success story while he undermines funding for the Global Fund that enabled that organization to greatly expand its work," said Asia Russell of Health GAP. Russell was part of a delegation visiting the GHESKIO program two in early April.

"Rich nations are determining the size of new Global Fund contributions they will announce at the June 1-3 G8 Summit," said Health GAP's Asia Russell. "People with AIDS are depending on Congress to leverage other donors."

Each US dollar contributed to the Global Fund has leveraged about three additional dollars from other countries.

Activists groups note than an additional $500 million is needed from the United States in an FY 2003 emergency supplemental bill to help pay a fair share towards the Global Fund's urgent budget shortfall. The Global Fund has almost none of the $1.6 billion it needs in the bank to fund the round of grants coming due in October. Hundreds of organizations from across the country and from every continent have endorsed this call for $3.5 billion from the US by 2004*.

"Congress should oppose right-wingers like Representative Pitts, who plan to ransom 40 million people with AIDS to score a few points with conservative extremists," said Allison Dinsmore of Health GAP. "Saving lives by increasing support for proven programs like the Global Fund should be the focus of Congress' global AIDS efforts, not unilateralist posturing or murderous right-wing antics."

The Global Fund, a multilateral financing mechanism chaired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, is facing a nearly complete budget shortfall this year due to underfunding from the U.S. and other donors. The Bush Administration plans to commit only $200 million to the Global Fund in 2004. The House International Relations Committee has acknowledged that the U.S.'s fair share of Global Fund contributions are 33% of projected need. With $350 million contributed so far and $200 million more in the FY04 budget, at least $1.7 billion from the United States is still owed by 2004.

Health GAP supported the House bill's inclusion of a Global Fund "challenge grant," where U.S. contributions will leverage other countries' donations to the Global Fund by matching contributions 33 cents for every additional 66 cents contributed. "The innovation of a challenge grant is exactly what is needed to leverage resources from other wealthy countries in time for the G8 summit in June," said Health GAP's Dr. Alan Berkman.

Worldwide, untreated AIDS kills 8400 people daily. By 2010 as many as 100 million people will be infected worldwide with HIV; currently 42 million are infected, with more than 29 million people living with HIV in Africa alone.

* $3.5 bn = $500 mn GFATM in FY 2003 + $1.7 bn for GFATM FY 2004 + $1.8 bn bilateral in FY 2004