G8 must not ignore Global Fund
The G8 historically has been a moment for the most influential nations in the world to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. This was most evident during the landmark 2005 summit in Scotland, where the G8 pledged $50 billion in aid to developing countries. Since then, civil society has carefully monitored each communiqué to come out of successive G8 summits to see if they are living up to their commitments.
Following massive legislative victories for global health in the U.S. last year, it was hoped that the other G8 countries would follow suit and make a major commitment to the enormously successful, but struggling, Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Global Fund currently faces a $5 billion shortfall, caused mainly in part by massive demand from effective programs.
However, all indications show that this year's communiqué will include no commitment to meeting the financing needs of the Global Fund, despite the centrality of the Global Fund's efforts against these three diseases. This is alarming for a few reasons:
The Global Fund was borne out of the Okinawa Infectious Diseases Initiative, announced at the 2000 G8 Summit. The G8's commitment to filling the funding gap is vital. This funding is needed to meet the demand from low-income countries to support high-quality disease programs. Its absence from the communiqué is alarming because it suggests a waning of commitment from donors at just the time that the Global Fund is most needed.
The Global Fund's importance is all the more vital in the face of an economic recession. The world's poorest people are the ones who will suffer most from the worldwide economic downturn, and will be more vulnerable than ever to sickness. Since a healthy population is the cornerstone to a healthy economy, it may be harder than ever to break the vicious cycle of poverty if treatment for disease is denied to those who need it most. The G8 communique recognizes that the global recession will impact the poor the hardest, and recognizes that the crisis will impede efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty by 2015. So why is the G8 silent on the Global Fund, when it's one of the most important international institutions we have working to achieve the MDGs?
Furthermore, the communiqué says it will quicken efforts to reach universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment by 2010 — though this is now totally impossible. The lack of recognition that it will be impossible, without any meaningful new plan, suggests the G8 isn't taking universal access seriously.
The G8 includes Africa Personal Representatives, and notes to include the latest information on the "possible evolution" of the Africa Partnership Forum. It's critical that these representatives keep the Global Fund on the G8's agenda and provide their fair shares of the funding need.
Having made commitments in the past to address AIDS, TB and malaria, the G8 cannot back down at a time when the world's poorest countries desperately need support for overwhelmed health systems. If the G8 countries can find billions to bail out wasteful industries in this downturn, surely they can find the means to invest in the future of global health.
ACTION
http://www.action.org/site/newsroom/g8_must_not_ignore_global_fund/
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