Dear House and Senate Conferees,
As groups committed to global health, development, and security we urge you to adopt the House-passed figure of $1.050 billion ($750 million-State, Foreign Operations and $300 million-Labor, Health and Human Services) for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as you finalize your fiscal year 2010 appropriations bills. The Global Fund is a proven and effective financing mechanism in combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and it has quickly become one of the most successful tools in the world to fight these three diseases that kill approximately six million people per year.
The Global Fund's most recent Results Report documents these achievements:
- As of June 2009, more than 3.5 million lives have been saved as a result of the successful interventions delivered by programs financed by the Global Fund over the past 7 years.
- HIV/AIDS: 2.3 million people placed on anti-retroviral therapy; 79 million people reached in HIV counseling and testing; 3.7 million orphans provided with medical services, education, and community care.
- Tuberculosis: 5.4 million people treated under DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short course).
- Malaria: 88 million insecticide treated bed nets distributed; 74 million drug treatments delivered.
Additionally, 35% of Global Fund financing is used to build health systems in developing countries. For example, as a result of Global Fund investments, Rwanda has experienced a 64% decrease in cases of malaria in children and a 66% decline in malaria related deaths. Finally, Global Fund investments in comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment services in Malawi led to a 44% decline in HIV /AIDS related mortality in health workers and 32% decline in HIV prevalence among pregnant women.
The Global Fund is an effective tool that provides a proven return on investment through international contributions whereby for every $1 the U.S. provides – the international community provides at least $2. Additionally, these funds build real expertise and capacity toward long term sustainability of programs through the Global Fund’s model of country ownership, performance-based funding, inclusive partnerships and transparent and accountable reporting. These characteristics have been central to the dramatic scale-up of effective and equitable services for diseases that far outreach the mere livelihood of those individuals affected.
The United States continues to play a pivotal role in the Global Fund's success as a leader in helping to finance these life saving programs. We urge you to continue this leadership by including the House-passed figure of $1.050 billion for the Global Fund in the final FY2010 appropriations bills. Thank you for your commitment to global health, development and security.
Sincerely,
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