Global AIDS Funding Vote in US Congress Next Wednesday!
Attention US activists: NATIONAL CALL IN DAY TUESDAY APRIL 30 Congress: 202-224-3121
The Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives will make decisions regarding emergency spending by the US government next Wednesday, May 1. Members of Congress who favor a strong response to the global AIDS epidemic will try to offer an amendment to an emergency spending measure, which would provide funds to fight the disease. (Note: the US Senate's Appropriations Committee will take up a similar measure May 10, so stay tuned.)
US activists, DO THIS NOW: If your Representative is on the Appropriations Committee contact a local district office and/or the Washington DC office next Tuesday (or sooner) by telephone!! Urge all your friends and colleagues to call. The list of members of this Committee is on the web here: http://www.house.gov/appropriations/members.htm
Urge support for at least $700 million for the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria in the emergency supplemental spending bill coming up for consideration. Since these are emergency funds, providing the funds does not take away from any other program.
***If your Representative is not on the Appropriations Committee ask him or her to contact the leadership of the Committee to urge support for $700 millio in emergency funds to help stop global AIDS.***
Note: We need bipartisan support - regardless of whether your legislators are Republicans or Democrats, do not hesitate to call. If you are represented by Republicans we are especially counting on YOU to make that call(s)!
You can send an email about this issue to your Representative if you click here:
http://takeaction.stopglobalaids.com/index.asp
Note: See www.house.gov and www.senate.gov for fax, direct phone and email addresses for members.
BACKGROUND: When Congress passed the FY 2002 budget last November, it failed to include enough money for global AIDS programs. Advocates called for at least $1 billion to be provided to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. This Fund is an independent funding mechanism to channel resources to programs focused on prevention, care, support, and treatment including on the well-being of orphans and on programs that deliver desperately needed AIDS drugs to people living with HIV/AIDS.
To date the US has provided only $300 million to the Global Fund. Soon the Fund is expected to be bankrupt unless donor governments are willing to invest their fair share in stopping global AIDS. On April 25 the Fund announced its first round of grants. The Fund awarded a total of US$378 million over two years to 40 programs in 31 countries.
To date, over 20 million people have died of AIDS worldwide. Today, like every other day, some 13,000 people will become newly infected and more th an 8,000 people will perish due to AIDS. Business as usual will not halt this disease. Without adequate funds, countries are forced to borrow money from lenders like the World Bank to finance AIDS programs, building up more unsustainable debt.
Info courtesy of The AIDS and Health Care Working Group of the Advocacy Network for Africa
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