Statement on Signing of the Global AIDS Legislation

SEATTLE -- Patty Stonesifer, Co-chair & President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, issued the following statement today on the President’s signing of the global AIDS legislation:

This is a historic step that demonstrates real U.S. leadership on the global AIDS epidemic. We applaud President Bush, Congressional leaders, AIDS advocates, and the many others whose years of dedication and hard work have made this occasion possible.

We hope that Congress and the Administration will work together to ensure that the funds authorized by this legislation are fully appropriated, and that these resources do not take away from other critical health and development programs.

While the new funds committed today will be a significant down payment, far more resources are needed to turn back the HIV/AIDS epidemic, not only in Africa but also in regions that face emerging epidemics. We hope that the U.S. will continue to invest more in global HIV prevention, treatment, and research efforts, and that other countries will do the same. 

We must remember the importance of HIV prevention in stopping and ultimately reversing the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Earlier this month, the Global HIV Prevention Working Group, an international panel of nearly 40 AIDS experts convened by the Gates Foundation and the Kaiser Family Foundation, issued a report finding that fewer than 1 in 5 people have access to basic HIV prevention interventions.

The Working Group’s report recommends a “combination prevention” approach to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, using a range of science-based strategies such as behavior change programs, condom promotion, voluntary HIV counseling and testing, and STD treatment. The report finds that scaling up global access to these interventions will require total annual spending on HIV prevention to increase three-fold, to $5.7 billion, by 2005. These resources are needed not only to prevent further catastrophe in sub-Saharan Africa, but also to contain epidemics in Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe.

We encourage the U.S. to continue and build upon its support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. It's important that the Fund addresses not only AIDS, but also malaria and TB—together, these diseases kill 6 million people every year in the developing world. The Fund is off to a strong start, but without more resources it will not be able to support many worthy applications from hard-hit countries.