Tuberculosis

Meeting at the Global Health Council

Feb 23rd, 2009 12:06 PM UTC
By Ian McGroarty

ONE rubbed elbows with some of its many partners Friday at the Global Health Council’s community meeting with Dr. Christoph Benn, the Director of Partnerships, Communication and Resource Mobilization at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (a very lengthy title with an even longer list of responsibilities). The Global Fund is a partnership of many organizations created to increase and disburse performance-based grants to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and it has helped drastically improve global health since its inception seven years ago. Nevertheless, many challenges remain. I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Benn after the presentation, and he gladly accepted a ONE band to show his support.

Dr. Benn was proud to announce that HIV/AIDS treatment has expanded; however, prevention remains the dominant challenge. TB poses its own obstacles due to its extreme drug resistance and its complex/ expensive treatment. However, the Global Fund is beginning to see a decline in infection in Asia, though progress in Africa is slower. This may be in relation to the high prevalence of HIV in Africa; in effect weakening people’s immune systems and making them more susceptible to TB. Child mortality due to Malaria decreased 50- 70% in some countries thanks to mosquito net disbursement and increased access to affordable treatment and disease control mechanisms. We are making progress, and looking to the future, it is no secret that we are accelerating.

The demand for Global Fund grants is increasing at unprecedented levels, but with the global economic downturn tightening public budgets, the Fund is now facing critical funding gaps. As ONE members, will need to get out and make their voices heard!

-Ian McGroarty

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy announced new Global Fund spokesperson

Dec 1st, 2008 10:11 AM UTC
By Josh Lozman

Today, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced a new global spokesperson. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, whose husband President Nicolas Sarkozy is the President of France, has agreed to use her influence and voice to support the important work of the Global Fund. France is currently the second largest contributor to the Global Fund, behind the United States.

Since its inception in 2002, the Global Fund has become the largest player in the fight against malaria and one of the largest in the fight against AIDS. It announced today that it has helped to support putting 2 million people across the world on life saving anti-retroviral therapy – a 43% increase over just last year.

The Global Fund’s financing needs are increasing rapidly as countries afflicted by AIDS, Tb and malaria are quickly developing qualified proposals to the fund that are outpacing incoming donor pledges. The role of global ambassadors like Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will be critical for the Global Fund to continue to provide the financing needed to fight these three killer diseases.

You can read the Global Fund’s press release on this new development here.

-Josh Lozman

The 2008 G8 Summit: Outcomes for Africa

Jul 10th, 2008 10:42 AM UTC
By Ben Hubbard

African development was again the subject of G8 discussions as world leaders gathered in Toyako, Hokkaido in northern Japan from July 7-9 for the 2008 G8 Summit. While the G8 was confronted with multiple global challenges, including climate change and a weakening global economy, the 2008 Hokkaido Summit marked an important “mid point” moment in the fight against poverty. The Hokkaido Summit came at the critical halfway point to both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the G8 Gleneagles promises to Africa. The G8 are dangerously behind on their landmark commitments to the region, having delivered only $3 billion of the promised $25 billion in additional assistance to Africa by 2010, according to the 2008 DATA Report.

After difficult negotiations, the G8 summit yielded small gains for the poorest. The bulk of G8 agreements on development and Africa and food security reiterated previous pledges rather than outlining new measures to get the group back on track. The G8 did announce plans for a new effort to tackle the global food crisis, though more details are needed to ensure its effectiveness and delivery. They highlighted the UN High-level meeting on the MDGs in September as an important opportunity to review progress and identify actions needed to overcome remaining challenges.

At a time when G8 credibility is at risk due to slow progress in delivering on commitments, there was a strong call for greater accountability in the G8 Communique. The G8 agreed to track progress against previous commitments in health, education, water and agriculture, as well as its compliance with anti-corruption measures.

Overall, the US, UK and Germany provided strong leadership in negotiations and have significantly increased their funding for Africa in recent years.

After the jump, the following brief overview of outcomes for Africa from the 2008 G8 Summit.

-Ben Hubbard

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