The US Government projects as many as 100 million infections by the end of the decade, but the epidemic is still in its infancy. UNAIDS predicts that it will be another 30-40 years before the epidemic peaks. Already the most serious health crisis in history, the rapidly accelerating AIDS epidemic has barely begun its onslaught.

Activists note that the WHO's plan to scale-up treatment access comes at a time when the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) is entering its second year of severe underfunding. While generally applauded, the US-run global AIDS program announced by President Bush during January's State of the Union Address has yet to be launched. Even under the most optimistic predictions, significant benefits will not be delivered for at least another year -- already one year after the announcement. Meanwhile, the White House has actively lobbied against bipartisan congressional efforts to increase funding levels to those authorized in legislation signed by the President with much fanfare earlier this year.

"We finally have a plan to stop AIDS. However, President Bush has worked to ensure that there is no money to pay for it," stated Health GAP's Jennifer Cohn. "By lying to Americans about funding levels for his global AIDS program while reducing already inadequate contributions to the Global AIDS Fund, President Bush has shown he is unfit to be a leader while continents teeter on the brink of collapse due to AIDS."

Secretary Powell has repeatedly explained to world leaders that AIDS is a bigger threat than terror. Among Global Fund donor countries, the US contributes by far the smallest percentage of its GDP.

"We appreciate that many of the 2004 Presidential Candidates will be releasing new plans to stop AIDS on World AIDS Day," continued Cohn. "Organizations representing tens of millions of Americans of every political stripe have signed a platform demanding that the candidates get serious about the AIDS crisis and have a detailed plan to stop AIDS."

Several of the candidates are expected to roll-out new plans to stop global AIDS on December 1.

The release of WHO's "3x5" plan comes just three weeks after former President Bill Clinton announced that his foundation had secured guarantees of new low prices for supplies of the triple-drug cocktails needed by people with HIV. The Clinton Foundation has negotiated a price of less than $136 per patient per year. This unprecedented price for generic medicines compares with almost $15,000 or more paid for similar medicines in the United States. "In response to generic comptetition, Big Pharma has offered price reductions for HIV medicines. However, the $1000-2000 cost per year simply do not compare with the generic equivalents," stated Asia Russell from Health GAP.

The generic drug prices are expected to soon fall even further as the WHO plan is implemented, due to the creation of massive economies of scale in raw materials and in manufacturing processes. However, the economic dynamic created by generic competition is threatened by current US bi- and plurilateral trade negotiations, announced last week at the FTAA Ministerial in Miami.

The most immediate test of this strengthened US unilateralism on trade will come with the US-Central American Free Trade Area (CAFTA) negotiations, set to be concluded by the end of the year. "This World AIDS Day, President Bush and his drug company financiers are shamelessly pushing many of the hemisphere's poorest countries into adopting monopoly protections that will give 'big pharma' the exclusive rights to sell at any price even for drugs that are not patented," stated Asia Russell from Health GAP.

"People with AIDS in the United States are dying on drug waiting lists, because the Administration has underfunded domestic programs," stated Allison Dinsmore from Health GAP, one of the co-organizers of last Monday's demonstration. "Bush failures are costing lives here at home and across the world. We have to do better."

Jessica Bassett of Health GAP declared, "The candidates need to know that they can no longer keep us waiting for an effective AIDS policy. This World AIDS Day, we expect that the future leader of the free world will step up to the plate to save lives. We'll be watching."

Last Monday 24 November, almost 2000 angry people with HIV and their supporters from across the country marched on the White House to demand a plan to stop AIDS in the United States and worldwide. The activists noted that this year, more people with HIV became infected worldwide than ever before, and that there are more people with HIV in the United States than ever before. The protesters carried signs that said "LIAR" to the White House, along with an effigy of the President bearing a Pinocchio nose.

Health GAP urges all candidates in the 2004 election to adopt the 04-Stop-AIDS platform. (find it and a list of current endorsers at www.healthgap.org)

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