[e-drug] US Congress certain to approve major GFATM boost

[Paul Davis <pdavis@critpath.org>]

E-drug: US Congress certain to approve major GFATM boost
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[Cross-posted from Ip-health. Thanks. HH]

US Congress certain to soon approve major new contribution to
Global Fund to fight AIDS TB and Malaria

[Contact activists @ GFATM meeting: +1.215.833.4102]
Wed April 24 2002

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. New 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."

-----
* Activists want US Congress to pass an emergency supplemental
bill that include BOTH $700 million for the Global Fund AND $500
million for mother-to-child prevention programs. The MTCT
programs should extend treatment to entire families.

* Activists want the GFATM Board to focus the second-round
request for proposals on treatment as the highest priority. The
overwhelming predominance of prevention programs selected for
funding in the current batch of applications is too duplicative of
existing bilateral aid programs.

Paul Davis
pdavis@critpath.org
Health GAP Coalition
ACT UP Philadelphia

+1.215.833.4102 mobile
+1.215.474.6886 tel.
+1.215.474.4793 fax

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