U.S. budget ax threatens successful AIDS program in Africa – ONE Fellow, Michael Gerson, was featured on CNN discussing the hard budget fight to hold on to funding for PEPFAR, “that started with his boss, nearly a decade ago.” Agreeing that some federal budget cuts are necessary, Gerson argued that “The question is whether or not we’re going to have indiscriminate cuts. Are we going to cut programs that are working; programs that when you make those cuts it has a tremendous human cost?” (Eric Marrapodi, CNN)
After 30 years, new sources needed for AIDS campaign – As the war on AIDS heads into its fourth decade, “the need for funds is spiraling relentlessly higher, prompting a quest for new resources from consumer levies to contributions from developing giants.” According to Bernhard Schwartlander of UNAIDS, there will be six billion in funding shortfall by 2015, due, in large part, to the fact that as more lives are saved by drugs to curb HIV, “the more the bill goes up.” (Agnes Pedrero, AFP)
Vaccine alliance seeks $3.7 bln from London meeting – International health alliance GAVI is seeking $3.7 billion from a June 13 pledging conference in London to help deliver vaccines to nearly a quarter of a billion children across the world by 2015. The alliance uses “vaccine bonds” underpinned by market expectations that donors will honor their pledges to bridge the time lags in the funding process that are common to the aid sector. (Simon Akam, Reuters)
South Africa’s Economy Accelerates – Economic growth in South Africa picked up more than expected in the first quarter, breaking expectations of economists by rising close to five percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2010. The largest driver of the economic expansion in the first quarter was a strong improvement in manufacturing, followed by growth in finance, real estate and business services. (Jackie Bischof, WSJ)
Sudan Border Strategy May Bring in Ethiopian Peacekeepers – Western diplomats and African leaders are pressing for a new strategy to defuse Sudan’s bitterly contested Abyei area: bringing in Ethiopian peacekeepers as a buffer between opposing forces. Several key issues remain unresolved, including how to split oil revenues and Sudan’s $38 billion debt. Western diplomats and many Sudanese fear that the breakup of Sudan could coincide with the breakout of war, unless Abyei is solved. (Jeffrey Gettleman, NYT)
