RECENT HEADLINES: The U.S. Global Health Initiative
“The World is Interconnected, and that Demands an Integrated Approach to Global Health,” President Obama, May 5, 2010.
On May 5, 2010 the White House released a statement revealing the details on President Obama’s proposed $63 billion six-year Global Health Initiative (GHI) as part of his 2010 fiscal year budget, Reuters reports (Bohan, Reuters, 5/5). The GHI calls for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to receive $51 billion over six years to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, while the remaining $12 billion would be directed to other global health problems (Stolberg, New York Times, 5/6), including pre- and post-natal care and child health initiatives (BBC, 5/5). Obama's proposal would increase FY 2010 spending on global HIV, TB and malaria to $7.4 billion, $366 million more than this year (New York Times, 5/6).
In mid-June the Obama administration announced eight countries selected to serve as learning labs for a new global health strategy aimed in part at reducing maternal and child deaths and combating preventable diseases," the Wall Street Journal reports. Noted as one of the first steps in the Administration’s roll-out of the GHI, the article states that "administration officials familiar with the plan" said Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nepal and Rwanda will receive "technical assistance and other resources," which they hope will help U.S. officials "learn how to streamline and integrate disease programs managed by disparate U.S. agencies and to work more closely with foreign governments to combat killer diseases" (McKay, 6/18).
At the G-8 Summit in June President Obama outlined his new approach to development as the United States made a commitment of $1.346 billion to the G-8 Muskoka Initiative on maternal and child health (Kaiser Policy Tracker 6/26). A recent report finds that total funding from donor nations for global health reached $26.4 billion in 2008 (Kaiser, 7/7), and cites the GHI, the G-8 Muskoka Initiative and the upcoming United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals as examples of renewed international focus on global health.
From Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report (5/6 and 6/18).
Learn More:
- Review USAID’s new GHI Fact Sheet including comments from Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, President Bill Clinton, Serra Sippel, President of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, and Save the Children.
- Watch the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation's Overview of U.S. Financing and Policy Priorities in Global Health web tutorial and review an archived webcast of Kaiser's 4/14 policy forum: The U.S. Global Health Initiative: Issues and Perspectives.
- Voice of America (7/6) analyzes the growing criticism from AIDS activists of U.S. Global AIDS Policy, including that of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation who staged a press conference in Washington, D.C. to urge the President to keep his promises on global AIDS. (7/2).
- Read a breakdown of the House Subcommittee's approval of global health funding for FY2011 on the Center for Global Health Policy's: “Science Speaks: HIV & TB News” blog (7/2).
- Watch Ambassador Eric Goosby discuss how far we’ve come in tackling HIV/AIDS. Global Health TV(6/29).
- Foreign Policy (6/25) and Miller-McCune (6/21) both offerextensive overviews of recent GHI and PEPFAR announcements and their surrounding criticism – including from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Global Fund.
- CNN examines the impact of changes to PEPFAR funding in Uganda (6/22)
RECENT HEADLINES: The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
On June 18th the National AIDS State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) noted that the ADAP waiting lists were nearing a “historical high,” with 1,596 people in need of consistent access to their HIV-related medication (NASTAD Press Release, 6/18). Sadly, NASTAD marked the beginning of July by releasing the current ADAP tallies now finding 2,090 individuals on waiting lists – nearly 500 more people than the previous record set in 2004 (NASTAD, ADAP Watch, July 2, 2010). Further impacted by the economic crisis, the ADAP experienced a 14% increase in client utilization between June 2008 and June 2009. Emergency funding to help ADAP waiting lists has not been available since 2004 when President Bush “directed federal funds to bolster ADAP” (Straube, POZ, 6/30).
On June 1, 2010 Florida instituted a waiting list for the first time in 14 years. As the state with nation’s third-largest population of people living with HIV, Florida now boasts the second largest ADAP waiting list with 523 individuals (as of July 1). Three other states have narrowed eligibility, and two of them — Arkansas and Utah — have dropped scores of people from the program. (Sack, New York Times, 6/30). Both Ohio and New Jersey recently announced that income eligibility for ADAP is being increased from 500 to 300% or less of the federal poverty level, a change that will result in approximately 1,000 people from each state losing access to vital HIV-related medications. In July, Georgia became the latest state to set up an ADAP (NPR, 7/7). Illinois governor Pat Quinn recently announced that their ADAP will be sufficiently funded to "serve approximately 4,500 clients a month -- an increase of 400" recipients (The Body.com 7/2).
Learn More:
- The POZ exclusive,“In deep water—the crisis inside America’s AIDS Drug Assistance Programs” (June 30, 2010) provides a great background on ADAP and the current crisis.
- Read FCAA’s recent interview with Robert Greenwald, Director of the Treatment Access Expansion Project (TAEP) on HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform. Greenwald explains TAEP’s current advocacy agenda, including pushing for a supplemental funding of the ADAP crisis, and other key recommendations for health care reform that will serve as a bridge for low-income and uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS.
FCAA NEWS & EVENTS
FCAA Spotlight – State Budgets, a Funder Briefing in Oakland Save the date for this funder briefing hosted by the Flowers Heritage Foundation and the Levi Strauss Foundation and in partnership with the National AIDS Fund and National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors. Learn More!
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Going to the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) in Orlando this September? FCAA is proud to partner with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum on a 9/13 workshop: “Navigating the Perfect Storm of Federal & State Budget Cuts, Reduced Foundation Giving, and Decreased Donations – Perspectives from Grantmakers and Community Based Organizations.” If you’re headed to USCA and interested in participating, please contact sarah@fcaaids.org.
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FCAA 2010 AIDS Philanthropy Summit Join us in Washington, D.C. on Monday 12/06/10 for the launch of our signature publication U.S. Philanthropic Support to Address HIV/AIDS in 2009 – the most comprehensive analysis of our sector’s response to date. Learn More!
COMMUNITY NEWS
7/07 Round-Up ViiV Healthcare announces Positive Action US: Southern Initiative (7/06); UNAIDS welcomes the creation of a new UN body for women (7/5); Firelight Foundation announces their incorporation as a public charity to commemorate their 10th anniversary (7/01).
6/24 Round-Up Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS - the top private funder of domestic HIV/AIDS – breaks $1million with its annual Broadway Bares fundraiser (6/22); ViiV Healthcare and amfAR partner on new $2 million initiative to optimize HIV treatment for infants and children in Asia.
6/14 Round-Up The Funders Network on Population, Reproductive Health and Rights announces a new online resource for funders: Growing the Reproductive Justice Movement: A Toolkit for Funders; AIDS Funding Collaborative releases a new report with the results of Cleveland's K-12 Responsible Sexual Behavior program 2008/2009 (6/14); The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Carlos Slim Health Institute, Spain, and the IDB announce new collaboration to Improve Health of the Poor in Mesoamerica; Ford Foundation debuts a new website, and a new look (6/11); Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and ViiV Healthcare announce new partnership aimed at expediting access to lifesaving HIV care and treatment to infants and children (6/7); the BMGF commits $1.5 Billion for integrated women’s and children’s health programs (6/07/10); Nancy Mahon, Executive Director, M.A.C AIDS Fund, provides commentary on the May 13th Office of National AIDS Policy panel on Public-Private Partnerships at the White House.
6/04 Round-Up Ford Foundation Initiative to tackle HIV crisis in United States launches (6/2); The New York City AIDS Fund in the New York Community Trust announces new $1.7 Million initiative to bring vulnerable people with HIV/AIDS into care (6/02); amfAR announces 3rd round of awards through its MSM Initiative for African, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Caribbean front-line groups working to prevent HIV (5/17/2010); What's the Right Relationship between Philanthropy & Government? Read the results of the latest GrantCraft survey (5/18); David Munar, Vice President of Policy and Communications, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, named Advocate of the Month by POZ (5/17).
Does your organization have news or events to share? Please send announcements to sarah@fcaaids.org.
Join AIDS Foundation of Chicago for their ADAP as TrOOP—Webinar for State Advocates
