GAA Calls For a Worldwide Response to President Obama’s Global Health Budget Shortfalls
Washington, DC, May 12, 2009—In an email sent today to more than 12,000 health advocates and organizations around the world, Global AIDS Alliance (GAA) Executive Director Dr. Paul Zeitz called for a worldwide response to fix the funding gap in President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget request submitted to the US Congress last week. Click here to read the email text.
When President Obama released his $3.6 trillion budget on May 7, he broke two campaign promises and created a total shortfall of $3.3 billion in US support for global AIDS funding through US bilateral AIDS programs, including PEPFAR, and for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Click here for GAA's factsheet on the Obama administration's broken promises.
"The time has come for the global health community to speak out and tell President Obama that he must meet his promises for fiscal year 2010," said Zeitz. "The President's budget request sets his Administration on a path to breaking many of his campaign promises to the people of Africa, and to falling short on its commitments to reassert US moral leadership around the world, with devastating health consequences."
GAA estimates that as a consequence of President Obama's broken promises on US bilateral AIDS programs:
- One million people around the world won't receive treatment for AIDS.
- 2.9 million women won't receive services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
- 27 million people won't access sexual disease transmission prevention programs.
- 1.9 million orphans and other children affected by or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS won't receive care and support services.
The email urges recipients to contact in-country representatives of the US government, including American Embassies, PEPFAR and USAID regional offices, and local offices of the American Chambers of Commerce, and ask them to support full funding of PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
"The President and US Congress need to hear world voices, especially voices from Africa, about the devastating impact of the President's broken campaign promises," said Zeitz. "The President needs to know that people will die needlessly without full funding of PEPFAR and the Global Fund. And he needs to know that the world is watching and waiting for him to make good on his promises."
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR THIS STORY:
Text of May 12 email to more than 12,000 health advocates and organizations worldwide:
http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/-/PDFs/GLOBAL_ALERT_TO_URGE_PRESIDENT_OBAMA_TO_FULLY_FUND_GLOBAL_HEALTH_PROGRAMS.pdf
GAA Fact Sheet on President Obama's Four Broken Campaign Promises:
http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/page/-/PDFs/Broken_Promises_Factsheet_May_2009.pdf