FUNDING INCREASE WELCOME, BUT MORE IS NEEDED, AIDS GROUP SAYS

The Global AIDS Alliance has announced that the U.S. Congress has agreed to a major increase in funds to combat AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria in Africa for fiscal 2007. Congress will increase funding by $1.3 billion, to a total of $4.5 billion, which will raise the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to $724 million.

There were 4.3 million new HIV infections this past year, with malaria being a major factor contributing to the spread of HIV, the Global AIDS Alliance said. Also, extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) has emerged as a new threat, especially in southern Africa.

"With the increase for the Global Fund, the U.S. is much better placed to go to other countries and urge them to increase their contributions to the [Global Fund]. We will need Germany, Japan and others to now reciprocate by upping their contributions; otherwise the global goal of universal access to AIDS-related services by 2010 will remain out of reach," Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, said. He also thanked Congress for the funding increase.

"A new, extremely dangerous form of TB has emerged, and much more U.S. funding will be required to combat it, and quickly. XDR-TB threatens to undermine much of our progress in fighting HIV/AIDS. The emergency is so great that the Congress should use the upcoming Supplemental Budget for 2007 to channel $300 million to address this disease threat," he added.