A Response to the Bush Administration's Proposal for Global AIDS Funding

Dr. Eric Goosby

By Dr. Eric Goosby

On January 28, 2003, President Bush made an unprecedented and historic announcement, calling for bold U.S. leadership in the fight against the global HIV pandemic during his State of the Union address. The President formally unveiled his "Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief," which commits the U.S. to providing $15 billion over the next five years for HIV prevention, treatment and care programs in the developing world. These funds, which include $10 billion in new resources, will ultimately bring life-sustaining HIV treatment and care, including antiretrovirals, to millions of people living with HIV in the developing world.

		Back to Page 1
		Articles in This Issue:
		•	Pangaea Partners with Clinton Foundation on Countrywide AIDS Treatment Programs
		•	Dr. Goosby's Global View: A Response to the Bush Administration's Proposal for Global AIDS Funding
		•	Pangea Staff Profile: Renè Durazzo - Vice President, Global Programs
		•	Pfizer Provides $11 Million to Build AIDS Clinic in Uganda
		•	Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Funds Treatment Program in South Africa
		•	Goosby Joins Bono's Heart of America Tour
		•	Rwandan President Honored During Visit to San Francisco

The President's plan will focus on fourteen of the most HIV-affected countries in Africa and the Caribbean, including: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Through these efforts, the President hopes to prevent 7 million new infections, 60% of the projected 12 million new infections in the targeted countries. Antiretroviral drugs would ultimately be provided to 2 million HIV-infected people, a dramatic increase from the 50,000 people in Africa who are receiving antiretroviral drugs today. The plan also calls for the provision of care to 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS orphans.

This initiative will utilize a layered network of central medical centers that support satellite centers and mobile units, as treatment moves from urban to rural communities. Based on our on-the-ground experiences, Pangaea strongly endorses the approach outlined in the President's proposal of utilizing and building upon existing health infrastructure. This is clearly the quickest and most sustainable route to getting life-saving medicine and care to those in need. The plan's focus on utilizing existing hospitals, drawing on the knowledge of local health care providers and supporting the provision of HIV antiretroviral drugs are all keys to success.

The President's pledge is a major step forward. These resources can be used immediately to deliver life-saving medicines and strengthen systems of care. Hope has been raised; now, it is critical that President Bush and America make good on the promise. Resources delayed are lives lost. There is no doubt that a downpayment of $3 billion can be immediately and effectively used to extend vital care and treatment in the fiscal year 2004 now being discussed in Washington.

We have also seen the benefits of the process of making funds available through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In Rwanda, this opportunity galvanized the country to bring stakeholders together, to develop a country plan for services, and to solidify implementation mechanisms to save thousands of people now at risk or affected by opportunistic infections and STIs. America's support for the Global Fund must remain strong, as a vital new tool for countries seeking to mount a strong national response to their HIV/AIDS epidemics.

Many providers are concerned by recent announcements that the Administration may deny global HIV/AIDS funding to programs that conduct or provide counseling related to abortions. Such restrictions are not based in science but in narrow ideological politics that infringe on the personal freedom of our patients. It is critical that we not allow the presence or absence of abortion counseling to undermine efforts to confront the world's worst disease since the Black Plague.

We at Pangaea congratulate President Bush and his Administration for understanding the gravity of the worldwide HIV pandemic and for making the United States a courageous leader in the fight against this disease. We are eager to work with the Administration and our partners in-country in using the President's initiative to develop effective and sustainable solutions to this crisis. The opportunities for effective action are at hand, and the call is urgent.