RESULTS Global Action February 2009

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Write a Letter to the Editor: President Obama Must Commit to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the MDGs Summit

Last year, Obama announced his Global Health Initiative, a $63-billion, six-year commitment to boost spending on programs that fight deadly diseases in the developing world. In keeping with that promise, his 2011 budget dramatically increased spending on maternal and child health and malaria programs, but it also called for cutting the U.S. contribution to the Global Fund by $50 million, to $1 billion, and raising the budget for bilateral HIV/AIDS programs by just 3.6%. With international AIDS spending essentially flat-lined since 2008, this will make it very difficult to increase the number of people getting antiretroviral treatment and will probably result in hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been prevented. — Los Angeles Times Editorial, “Obama's funding to fight AIDS is weak,” 7 September 2010

This September 20–22, world leaders will gather at the United Nations for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit. Over the last ten years, the world has made incredible progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, but we are now at a precipice: we can either reduce funding and reverse progress, thereby sentencing millions to sickness and death; or we can meet the challenge, build on our accomplishments, and continue to robustly fund critical health interventions to create a healthier, more stable, and safer world in 2015.

While President Obama has been eloquent in his support for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, he must turn his words into action by announcing a three-year, $6 billion pledge to the Global Fund when he speaks at the MDG Summit. The Global Fund’s donors will meet in October for a replenishment conference, and an announcement by President Obama at the September MDG Summit will challenge other donors to meet the U.S.’s commitment. Help build support by writing a letter to the editor in support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Sample Letter to the Editor Instructions: Follow the guidelines for letters to the editor provided by your local papers. Always include your address and phone number. Make your letter short (150–250 words) and to-the-point using the EPIC format (see sample letter below). To write a letter through the RESULTS website, go to http://capwiz.com/results/dbq/media. If your letter gets published, amplify its impact by sending a copy of your published letter to your members of Congress.

Engage Congress, citizens, and newspapers around the country are calling on President Obama to make a robust pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria in September at the Millennium Development Goal Summit. The Global Fund is a highly-effective, multilateral organization fighting these diseases of poverty. It has helped save 5.7 million lives since 2003. Problem Despite the progress made against these three killers, Obama proposed cutting funding to the Global Fund in his FY11 budget. Reducing U.S. funding will create a ripple effect among other donors, leading to decreased funding and hundreds of thousands dying unnecessarily. Inform about the The Global Fund has become the main source of finance for programs to fight AIDS, TB, and solution malaria, with approved funding of $19.3 billion for more than 572 programs in 144 countries since 2003. It provides a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally, two-thirds for tuberculosis and three quarters for malaria. Because of the work of the Global Fund, we are on track to realize the elimination of the transmission of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. Tip: For specific examples of Global Fund achievements, refer to the Global Fund's "By 2015 We Can" document, available at: http://tinyurl.com/GFSuccesses (pdf) Call to action! The Global Fund’s donors will meet in October to pledge multi-year commitments. President Obama can set this meeting up for success by announcing a three-year, $6 billion funding commitment when he speaks at the UN MDG Summit in September.

Strong Congressional Support for the Global Fund Nearly 100 representatives joined Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) in letter to the president urging him to make a pledge of $6 billion over three years. The congressional letter to the president demonstrates that Congress would support the president in making a bold, multi-year commitment. The letter was signed by: 1. 10 committee chairs, including Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce (which has jurisdiction over health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control), and Homeland Security. 2. 14 members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, including the committee chair and four subcommittee chairs. 3. 4 members of Foreign Operations Subcommittee, which allocates foreign assistance funding. Why the Global Fund? A three-year, $6 billion pledge has the potential to galvanize international action to achieve the Millennium Develop- ment Goals on health. A $6 billion pledge over fiscal years 2012-2014 is consistent with the bipartisan Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Reauthorization Act and would help achieve the goals of President Obama's $63 billion Global Health Initiative. Why does a multi-year pledge make sense?  Leverage. Historically, every $1 the U.S. contributes to the Global Fund has been matched with $2 from other donors. This fall donors will gather to determine their three-year pledges to the Global Fund, so a U.S. pledge at this time would amplify our contribution by encouraging other donors to do more.  Effectiveness. The Global Fund is on the leading edge of implementing the best practices and principles of effective aid, making it the most powerful tool we have to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria. Proposals are developed by the countries that implement them, they are evaluated by an independent review panel, and continued funding is awarded according to performance.  Impact. The Global Fund has supported remarkable achievements in a few short years including: HIV/AIDS treatment for 2.8 million people; 7 million people treated and tested for tuberculosis; and 122 million bed nets have been distributed to prevent malaria. With adequate funding, the Global Fund could support the virtual elimination of pediatric AIDS, the elimination of malaria as a public health threat in many countries, and universal access to TB treatment. Since it’s inception in 2003, the Global Fund has saved 5.7 million lives. Use These Local Hooks to Help Get Your Letter Published  Link to a Stand Up Against Poverty event in your community to let the editors know this global issue is local.  Note if your representatives signed the Barbara Lee letter to President Obama calling for this pledge.  Offer a quote from your local RESULTS group about why this moment is so important, why investing in the Global Fund makes us more secure. Use the end of combat troops in Iraq as a hook: we can win this war on diseases of poverty if we invest a fraction of what we invested in Iraq; fighting global health threats brings greater stability and security; diseases threaten our soldiers and U.S. citizens working abroad.  Does your community have connections to international development or global health? Chances are investing in the Global Fund will also benefit your local economy. See this editorial from Durham, NC’s The Herald Sun, which makes this argument.  Link global health to any recent TB cases in your community — investing in the Global Fund to fight MDR-TB globally protects us here at home. You can find info on your state’s TB rates by visiting the CDC’s TB website.  Tell your editors about the recent story from Associated Press on finding a new diagnostic tool for TB that would reduce time to assess to two hours.  Tell your editors that the administration has heard from 101 representatives, but now they need to hear from the public. Tell them that their voice will matter.