If approved it would make the U.S. the single largest donor to the campaign against HIV/Aids and is in addition to the $15 billion Washington has been spending since 2003.
"Of course, we welcome the President's support for action to address HIV/AIDS," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "The US program has done a lot of good, primarily in care for orphans and AIDS treatment, and today the President reaffirmed its continuation."
"But, the reality is that as the tide of HIV/AIDS rapidly rises we are not even treading water," said Zeitz. "This is not a plan for victory in the fight against AIDS. Looking at the details, it's clear that this plan is for a modest funding increase. It is far below what is needed to get ahead of the AIDS virus and meet new international commitments, including to provide services for children."
However despite his call to action Bush hasn't revealed any of the details on what he would ask Congress to provide for the plan for fiscal year 2009. Yet many political analysts say it is clear that the plan would not be a doubling of existing spending levels over a five year period. In fact, $30 billion is about what the US is already on track to spend over the next five years even without the President's announcement.
Despite the pledge of funds parts of Bush's policy are opposed by international health organizations, academics, women's groups, European governments and even the administration's financial watchdog. Which falls in line with what Europe's Guardian Unlimited calls domestic Christian right orthodoxy. Skeptics say a significant proportion of the funds are channeled to religious groups advocating abstinence until marriage and refusing to distribute condoms, an approach that many believe is counter-productive and cost lives.
"This proposal is being described by some as a doubling of the U.S. response to global AIDS," said Zeitz. "That is a misconception."
For fiscal year 2007 Congress approved $4.5 billion for AIDS, TB and malaria programs (excepting the new bilateral malaria initiative). For fiscal year 2008 the President requested $5.4 billion, which Congress seems likely to approve. If the next phase of the U.S. global AIDS response simply held to this 2008 level over a five year period it would cost $27 billion, or nearly what the President proposed today.
Back in 2003, Bush proposed a pledge of $15 billion, and a doubling of that would, indeed, be $30 billion. However, much has changed in the last four years. Since 2003, Congress has significantly raised the level of spending on the initiative. Then, last year, at a major U.N. meeting on AIDS, the U.S. agreed to back universal access by 2010 to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care, including services for orphaned children, and reaching this goal requires a much higher level funding. And, since 2003, it has become obvious that unless the U.S. provides a much greater investment in health care systems programs receiving U.S. dollars will not be able to make efficient use of these resources.
