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Saturday, 05 April 2008 14:44
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 Modest Global AIDS Funding
Increase Approved by House
A modest, 27% increase in global HIV/AIDS spending was authorized this week in an important vote in the House of Representatives.
"We welcome this reauthorization of the AIDS program and congratulate members for avoiding a partisan logjam on this crucial issue," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "We can only hope that the Senate quickly follows suit, since the President hopes to use the bill at the upcoming G8 Summit to leverage other countries to do more."
Current funding is already at $6 billion per year, or $30 billion over five years. Last year, President Bush proposed keeping funding at that level, but the House bill would increase AIDS spending to $37 billion and Bush has indicated his backing for the measure.
A $30 billion level over the next five years would have meant a zero percent funding increase, which would have greatly undermined progress toward the US-backed goal of universal access to all AIDS-related services.
Instead, the House has authorized a 27% increase in spending on AIDS, which will help the US expand programs that have already been proven successful.
The remainder of the bill, $13 billion, would be spent on programs to address the urgent crises of malaria and tuberculosis, via US-supported programs and the Global Fund. The overall bill authorizes $50 billion, and the Congress must then appropriate the funding so that dollars can actually flow to vital programs.
The bill uses an updated and much more holistic approach that will have better results in the field. It will cost more to address AIDS, TB and malaria more broadly, but the programs will get much faster results by not treating these diseases in isolation.
One crucial example of this broader approach is that the bill will help countries train and retain their own nurses and doctors. This will greatly expand the capacity of African countries to fully utilize US aid dollars.
Greater funding is also needed because of the target the bill sets for expanded access to AIDS treatment. By setting a higher target for treatment, the bill ensures a significant amount will be spent on delivering AIDS drugs, including to pregnant women. AIDS medication can also bolster prevention by dramatically reducing the chances of transmission of the HIV virus.
The bill incorporates reporting requirements and accountability standards that will help ensure funds are used appropriately. For instance, on the crucial issue of gender, the bill sets specific goals and targets, gives operational guidance on gender for field staff, gender-specific indicators, and monitoring and evaluation of gender-specific interventions.
The bill rightly prescribes "gender norm" programs that are aimed at ending the tidal wave of abuse of women and girls in many AIDS-affected countries.
Unfortunately, the bill misses a crucial opportunity to promote the integration of family planning and HIV programs. This integration is needed to ensure that US programs reach women and girls who would otherwise not have access to the healthcare system and maximize the capacity of health care and family planning providers to prevent HIV.
The legislation maintains a focus on countries most in need while maintaining much smaller programs, which are backed by the Bush Administration, in India, Russia, China and other countries.
Some programs in these countries are financed via the Global Fund, where the US, though its leadership of the powerful Policy and Strategy Committee, plays a strong role in overseeing Fund operations and its requests for resources. The bill includes funding for the Global Fund, based on the Fund’s overall request for resources, which the Bush Administration has approved.
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