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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published by the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC) from 1995 to 2001 and by Africa Action from 2001 to 2003. APIC was merged into Africa Action in 2001. Please note that many outdated links in this archived document may not work.


USA: Global Health Fund Alert

USA: Global Health Fund Alert
Date distributed (ymd): 011015
Document reposted by APIC

Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List: an information service provided by AFRICA ACTION (incorporating the Africa Policy Information Center, The Africa Fund, and the American Committee on Africa). Find more information for action for Africa at http://www.africapolicy.org

+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++

Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+ +health+ +US policy focus+

SUMMARY CONTENTS:

This posting contains an action alert asking for calls to the U.S. Congress concerning a supplemental appropriation for the UNinitiated Global AIDS and Health Fund, which is scheduled to start operations by the end of this year. While the alert is particularly appropriate for U.S. readers, we are distributing it more widely. Given the urgency of adequate funding for the Fund, we are also asking non-U.S. readers to forward the alert immediately to those of your U.S. contacts you think might be willing to act on it.

The alert comes from the Global AIDS Alliance, RESULTS, and Church World Service. It is preceded by a short cover note from Africa Action executive director Salih Booker.

+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cover Note from Africa Action

The level of funding for the new Global AIDS and Health Fund is one of the decisive fronts in the struggle for Africa's right to health, and continued U.S. failure to increase funding would be a crippling handicap for the fund, led by an international working group directed by former Ugandan Health Minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga.

If the scale of funding is not greatly increased to approach the $10 billion a year estimated as necessary, the fund will fall far short. And there is the danger that it could entirely exclude funding for treatment necessary to save as many as possible of the almost 7,000 Africans dying every day from AIDS.

When lawmakers can quickly find tens of billions of dollars to subsidize airlines (though not yet workers) and to finance war activities, the modest $3 billion a year that would be an appropriate U.S. contribution to the global fund must remain the goal. The $1 billion supplemental called for in the alert below is a bare minimum first step.

We must embrace a wider vision of our common humanity on multiple fronts to further human security. In the attacks on U.S. embassies in 1998 in Kenya and Tanzania, the interconnectedness of every country's security could not have been more obvious. Yet the lesson was missed.

The UN now estimates that the economic impact of September 11 will reduce expected growth rates in Africa by more than 1 percent. The devastating consequences will further hamper the struggle against AIDS. Please add your voice to remind lawmakers that substantive action on AIDS is an urgent imperative of global human security.
                 -- Salih Booker


12 October 2001

ACTION ALERT: SUPPORT $1 BILLION IN FY02 EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR THE GLOBAL AIDS AND HEALTH FUND

[Contributions to this action alert were made by the Global AIDS Alliance (http://www.globalaidsalliance.org), RESULTS (http://www.resultsusa.org), and Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org). It is being distributed by these and other allied organizations supporting increased funding for global health.]

ACTION:

Urge your Senators and Representative to sign on to the Dear Colleague letters to President Bush that call for a $1 billion contribution to the Global AIDS and Health Fund.

Have House members sign on by calling Michael Riggs in Rep. Barbara Lee's (D-CA) office: 202-225-2661 or by calling Mary Andrus in Rep. James Leach's (R-IA) office: 202-225-6576.

Have Senators sign on by calling Senator Leahy's office at: 202-224-4242.

Additional contact information for members of congress can be found at: http://capwiz.com/churchworld/dbq/officials/

THE CURRENT DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTERS:

Thanks to the efforts of key House and Senate members, Dear Colleague letters to President Bush are circulating that ask for a FY02 $1 billion emergency supplemental for the Global AIDS and Health Fund.

Call now and urge your Representative to sign on to the bi-partisan Dear Colleague letter in the House, sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA), James Leach (R-IA), Jim Nader (D- NY), Connie Morelia (R-MD), and John Conyers (D-MI).

Call now and urge your Senator to sign on to the Leahy Dear Colleague letter in the Senate. Senator Leahy has issued a letter calling for a $1.2 billion emergency supplemental--$1 billion for the Global Fund and $200 million for SAID. Urge your Senators to contact Leahy's office at: 202-224-4242 to sign on.

We only have a couple of weeks to build support for urgent action before Congress goes on recess!

BACKGROUND:

As we all seek healing during this tumultuous time, we are reminded of the needs of the more than 36 million around the world who are infected with HIV/AIDS, 25 million of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, this crisis has killed 22 million people and has orphaned 13 million children.

This crisis, on its own merits, requires focused attention from the U.S. and the international community. An estimated 50 million persons are projected to be infected by 2005. Ninety-five percent of persons who are currently infected cannot get access to life-saving medications. A public health crisis of this magnitude cannot be addressed within the regular appropriations process. Bold interventions are required and an emergency supplemental is the best way to tackle the crisis. Because of the U.S. role in the world and our share of global wealth--estimated to be nearly 30%--we are calling for a $1 billion emergency supplemental for the Global AIDS and Health Fund in FY 2002 (fiscal year 2002 began October 1, 2001). The emergency supplemental would assist in stopping AIDS in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and other impoverished regions.

The Global AIDS and Health Fund, directed by the former health minister of Uganda, will provide resources to a broad range of desperately needed programs of AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in many impoverished regions. Countries will not have to comply with structural adjustment conditions or buy US products to receive resources from the Global Fund. The Fund currently has just over $1.5 billion in donations from many sources for several years of operation, but it needs $10 billion a year to be fully operational.

SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL AIDS AND HEALTH FUND IN CONGRESS:

There is bipartisan support in Congress for fighting AIDS and it impact on children and families. Earlier this year, the House International Relations Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Henry Hyde of Illinois, passed a bill authorizing $750 million in 2002 to fight HIV/AIDS internationally. Congress is expected to authorize $200 million for the Global AIDS and Health Fund within regular spending bills, as promised by President Bush earlier this year in an immediate response to the UN's call for funding in addition to $100 million provided in a previous supplemental spending bill. This is a good first step, but Congress must do more in up-coming emergency supplemental bill. Spending $1 billion in 2002-a small portion of our national resources--to address the urgent global dilemma of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.

WHAT TO SAY:

Phone calls are urgently needed at this time - this week and next.

Tip: be diplomatic and patient with Congressional staff and stay focused on our goal: more funds to stop AIDS.

Call the Congressional Switchboard and ask for your Senators, then your Representative: 202-224-3121. If this is busy you can find the direct line plus email addresses on the web at:
http://www.house.gov http://www.senate.gov

Request to speak with the staff person that handles foreign affairs issues.

Say something like: "I know the Congress has been working hard in these difficult times and you have my best wishes. I'd like to bring to your attention a Dear Colleague letter to President Bush being circulated. It calls for an emergency supplemental appropriation for the Global AIDS and Health Fund of $1 billion. This is a very critical time in the fight against AIDS--36 million persons are already infected. An estimated 50 million persons worldwide are expected to be infected by 2005. If the U.S. and the international community do not make bold interventions to prevent and to treat infections, the level of human loss would be unlike anything the world has ever lived. Where does the Senator/Representative stand on this issue?"

[Encourage that the member sign the Dear Colleague by calling the appropriate office listed at the beginning of the Action Alert.]

Email and fax your members of Congress; if possible call them at their local and state offices as well as at their Washington, DC offices.


FINAL SENATE SIGN ON---circulation to be started on/about 12 October or 15 October SENATE SIGN ON BEING ORIGINATED BY SENATE LEAHY

October xx, 2001

The Honorable George Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

While the world's attention is appropriately focused on combating international terrorism, we are writing about another global scourge -- HIV/AIDS, which has claimed the lives of over 25 million people, including an estimated four million children.

On June 11, 2001, you submitted FY 2002 budget amendments totaling $200 million for a United States contribution to a new Global Fund to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, which together kill more than 17,000 people each day. While we appreciate that first step, the Global Fund cannot possibly mount an effective response to these diseases without significantly larger contributions of funds, which will only happen if the United States leads the way. We are therefore writing to urge you to submit to the Congress an emergency supplemental request for an additional $1.2 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We believe these emergency funds are essential to leverage additional investments from both public and private sources to meet the annual cost of combating these diseases -- estimated by public health officials to be $10 billion for HIV/AIDS alone.

We are aware that the Federal budget faces severe constraints. However, the human catastrophe resulting from HIV/AIDS, which is projected to infect 50 million people by 2005, is unlike anything the world has known for over half a millennium. A public health crisis of this scale cannot be addressed within the regular Appropriations process without slashing funding for other critical needs, and clearly warrants emergency designation. The fact that we can prevent HIV infection, and that affordable drugs exist that can substantially reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission and prolong the lives of infected people, makes it incumbent on us to immediately utilize whatever budgetary mechanisms are available.

The $1.2 billion we seek should be allocated to the U.S. Agency for International Development, with $1 billion to be provided to the Global Fund assuming it becomes operational and has the capacity to manage resources effectively in early 2002. The funds should be used to support a wide range of interventions, from education, prevention and basic care to the procurement of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria related drugs and commodities, including antiretroviral agents in situations where their use can be effectively managed, and anti-malaria interventions such as insecticide-treated bed nets. Priority should be given to programs that increase the number of people covered by these proven interventions in countries severely affected or at high risk of rapid spread of these diseases.

This initiative would greatly bolster American leadership and the shared commitments of the world community to save millions of lives from epidemic disease. We are confident that our increased support would galvanize significantly larger contributions from other donor countries, without which this effort cannot succeed.

Again, we appreciate what you and your Administration have done thus far against these diseases. It is clear, however, that a far more forceful response by the United States is urgently needed.

Respectfully,


House of Representatives Dear Colleague Letter

As of 12 Oct: 18 Members (2 Republican/16 Democrat) Members of the House of Representatives have signed on in less than 24 hours of circulation.

EXTEND THE FIGHT FOR LIFE

SUPPORT THE BIPARTISAN $1 BILLION EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST FOR GLOBAL HIV/AIDS FUNDING

October 11, 2001

Dear Colleague:

While the world's attention is appropriately focused on combating international terrorism, we cannot afford to ignore another global scourge- HIV/AIDS -- which has claimed the lives of over 25 million people, including an estimated four million children, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa.

As we conclude Congressional business this year, we ask you to join us in requesting to the President, $1 billion in emergency funding to fight the global AIDS pandemic, TB and malaria. The global AIDS crisis, particularly as it is affecting the African continent, stands as the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. Eight thousand people died of AIDS every day last year six people died every minute. Since the virus was first recognized 20 years ago, 58 million people have been infected, and at current rates of spread the total will exceed 100 million by 2007. AIDS has orphaned over 10 million children in Africa. By 2010, there will be more than 40 million AIDS orphans.

To its credit the Bush Administration has committed $200 million to a global fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. The fund is expected to leverage funding with a 1-9 return rate. Already the fund has received commitments of $1.7 billion from international donors. While this is a good start, the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, international HIV/AIDS and health experts, and other world leaders have stated that it will require $7 - $10 billion annually to effectively fight HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases globally.

We are all aware of the current Federal budget constraints and the trauma for our budget as well as people because of the terrorist challenge. However, the human catastrophe resulting from HIV/AIDS is unlike anything the world has known. A public health crisis of this scale, which cannot be addressed in the current budget allocations without slashing other critical needs, clearly warrants an emergency designation. An emergency appropriation of $1 billion for FY02 is essential so that additional investments from both public and private sources can be leveraged to meet the cost of effectively combating the global AIDS pandemic.

We urge you to join us in sending the attached bipartisan letter to the President requesting an additional $1 billion to fight the global AIDS crisis. If you require additional information, please contact Michael Riggs of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staff at 5-2661, or Mary Andrus of Congressman Leach's office at 2-6576 The deadline is October 19, 2001.

Barbara Lee, Member of Congress; James Leach, Member of Congress; Connie Morella, Member of Congress; John Conyers, Member of Congress; Jerrold Nadler, Member of Congress


DRAFT

October XX, 2001

The Honorable George Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

While the world's attention is appropriately focused on combating international terrorism, we are writing about another global scourge- HIV/AIDS -- which has claimed the lives of over 25 million people, including an estimated four million children.

On June 11, 2001, the Administration submitted FY 2002 budget amendments totaling $200 million for a United States contribution to a new Global Fund to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, which together kill more than 17,000 people each day. While we appreciate that first step, the Global Fund cannot possibly mount an effective response to these endemic diseases without a significantly larger financial contribution], which will only be made if the United States, the world's wealthiest nation, sets the example. We are therefore writing to urge the Administration, in the strongest terms, to submit to the Congress an emergency supplemental request for an additional $1 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. We believe this U.S. government FY 2002 emergency appropriation is essential so that additional investments from both public and private sources can be leveraged to meet the multi-billion dollar annual cost of combating the global AIDS pandemic.

We are aware that the Federal budget faces severe constraints and that the war on terrorism involves new outlays based on a confidence questioned economy. However, the human catastrophe resulting from HIV/AIDS is unlike anything the world has known for over half a millennium. Public health crises of this scale cannot be ignored despite the new terrorist challenge to the national interest. Indeed, if a pandemic that is now projected to infect over 100 million people with a deadly, incurable virus by 2007 does not qualify for emergency funding, it is difficult to conceive of any issue that does.

The $1 billion we seek should be allocated to the US Agency for International Development to be provided to the Global Fund when the Fund is operational, in order to support a wide range of interventions, from education and prevention to the procurement of HIV/AIDS/TB related drugs and commodities, including antiretroviral agents in situations where their use can be effectively managed, and anti-malaria interventions such as insecticide- treated bed nets. The goal is to have the Global Fund in operation with the capacity to manage resources and procure essential drugs and commodities by early 2002. To maximize the Global Fund's impact, the funds should be used for results-based programs that specifically increase the number of people covered by the direct provision of drugs, other commodities and services to beneficiaries in countries severely affected by these diseases.

The fact that techniques which prevent the spread of HIV infection exist, and that drugs exist that can substantially reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission and prolong the lives of people who are infected, makes it incumbent on us to immediately utilize whatever budgetary mechanisms are available.

Again, we appreciate the commitment you and your Administration have demonstrated on the HIV/AIDS issue. It is clear, however, that a ]more aggressive response by the United States is urgently needed.

Respectfully,

Signatures


This material is being reposted for wider distribution by Africa Action (incorporating the Africa Policy Information Center, The Africa Fund, and the American Committee on Africa). Africa Action's information services provide accessible information and analysis in order to promote U.S. and international policies toward Africa that advance economic, political and social justice and the full spectrum of human rights.

URL for this file: http://www.africafocus.org/docs01/con0110.php