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    PRESS RELEASE

    For Immediate Release: September 6, 2005
    Contact:
    David Bryden, 1-202-549-3664
    Asia Russell, 1-267-475-2645

    PRESIDENT BUSH BREAKS G8 PROMISE TO AFRICA:
    GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION SAYS THE GLOBAL FUND'S FUNDING GAP FOR HIV, TB, AND MALARIA WILL COST THE LIVES OF MILLIONS

    Final pledges of money to the replenishment of the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria fell drastically short of what was needed to scale up the fight against these three big killers, said global civil society leaders at the close of negotiations in London today.

    Prior to the negotiations, over 500 NGOs from 87 countries (including, from the US, Global AIDS Alliance, National Catholic AIDS Network, Health GAP, DATA, World Vision International, RESULTS, Global Health Council, and others), as well as individual signatories Archbishop Desmond Tutu, ex Irish Premier Mary Robinson, Bono and Special UN envoy Stephen Lewis, had sent an urgent appeal for full funding of the Global Fund to President Bush and leaders of other donor nations.

    The $3.7 billion pledged by donors today will be just enough to sustain current programs. However, there was no funding for new prevention, treatment or care programmes for 2006 and 2007. $7 billion is needed to adequately address the Global Fund's funding needs.

    The disappointing U.S. pledge today of $600 over 2006 and 2007 is far less than the U.S. commitment to funding one-third of the Global Fund's needs of $7.1 billion over the two years. Recipient countries including Nigeria and China today committed $10 million each, pledges that are more generous, proportionately, than the U.S. pledge.

    David Bryden of Global AIDS Alliance said: "The world was counting on the United States. President Bush made an important commitment to funding one third of the Fund. By breaking that promise Bush is letting down the most vulnerable people in the world. If his commitment to Africa is real, then words are not enough."

    David Bryden of Global AIDS Alliance said: “The world was counting on the United States. President Bush made an important commitment to funding one third of the Fund. By breaking that promise Bush is letting down the most vulnerable people in the world. If his commitment to Africa is real, then words are not enough.”

    Without closing the funding gap there is “essentially no prospect of achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” according to Richard Feachem, Executive Director of the Global Fund. In just over a week, the world will review the performance of the UN Millennium Development Goals – one of which is to halt and then reverse HIV, TB and Malaria.

    "This conference blatantly demonstrates that contributions to the Global Fund should not be based on voluntary pledges. Funding should be predictable and based on countries’ fair shares," said Asia Russell of Health GAP. "If health MDGs are not met, all other MDGs relating to human development, poverty reduction and global security are nothing but a dream."

    The US Congress is in the process of finalizing its allocation for the Global Fund; it could receive up to $600 million from Congress for US fiscal year 2006. But the US share of the Global Fund’s needs in fiscal year 2006 for renewed funding not only for existing programs but also for funding new rounds of grants is at least $840 million.

    The G8 at Gleneagles committed to replenishment of the Global Fund. This was the first test of the G8 countries’ seriousness in realising their targets. “The G8’s historic promise of ensuring universal access to HIV treatment will not be a reality by 2010 unless the U.S. keeps its promises to fully support the Fund,” said Asia Russell of Health GAP.

    As a measure of its resistance to internationally agreed upon estimates of global need, U.S. government representatives fought inclusion of UNAIDS estimates in the official Replenishment Meeting communiqué of UNAIDS estimates of the global AIDS funding needs. The U.S. was alone in its unwillingness to accept an estimate of the international funding need of $22 billion by 2005.

    Money from the Fund has proven a vital tool in fighting the massive threat posed by HIV, TB and Malaria. Predictable and sufficient funding means that countries are able to mount a sustained response to epidemics - improving infrastructure, training personnel and ensuring the spread of prevention messages in addition to ensuring access to medicines.

    Civil society maintains its call for immediate action and for:

  • President Bush to work with immediately with Congress to maintain the US one-third fair share of the Global Fund needs

  • The EC to maintain its 12.8 % share (its average to date)

  • Other countries such as Australia and Canada to take a lead from the UK to dramatically scale up their contributions

    • Global civil society is watching and waiting to see if the international community will respond to health crises and honour their promises to their constituents.

    Notes to Editors:

  • The pledging rounds for 2006 and 2007 were important because that funding was supposed to be allocated for spending on health infrastructure and essential personnel such as nurses and doctors.

  • The $0.6bn the USA is spending over the next two years is compared to more than $1bn spent daily on defence.

  • Between 6 and 9 million people living with HIV and AIDS are estimated to need life saving drugs urgently, over 2 million die annually from TB and up to 3 million could be spared from Malaria if insecticide impregnated nets were provided.


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