Global Laser Talk July 2013

Asking for Support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Advance of Fall Replenishment

Engage: Just over a decade ago, an HIV diagnosis was essentially a death sentence in most poor countries. At the time, TB was a neglected disease gone rampant, and malaria was a largely unchecked killer of pregnant women and children.

State the Problem: In the face of this emergency, a powerful, life-saving partnership was formed: the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. In just 10 years, the Global Fund has transformed our ability to fight diseases of poverty. Through Global Fund support, 4.2 million people are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV, 9.7 million cases of TB have been detected and treated, and 310 million insecticide-treated bed nets have been disseminated to protect families from malaria.

Inform: To keep up this momentum, the U.S. must maintain full support for the Global Fund. In the fall of 2013, the Global Fund will hold a donor replenishment conference where the U.S. should commit to continue annual funding at $1.65 billion for the next three years.

Call to action: Will you speak to appropriators to preserve annual Global Fund funding at $1.65 billion in any final FY2014 appropriations negotiations and also support a multiyear commitment at the replenishment conference?