Is “Flat” Funding Turning People Away From AIDS treatment?
Only about 40 percent of all those who need HIV treatment worldwide receive it. Despite a slow-down in the number of new HIV infections, in 2008 alone, an estimated 1.9 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa became newly infected, according to UNAIDS.
The demand for enrolling new people in drug treatments remains as high as ever, yet funding for treatment is not keeping pace.
This past week, two articles were published on the impact of HIV treatment from "flat" funding in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Boston Globe: US Seeks to Rein in AIDS Program
The article, US Seeks to Rein in AIDS Program, discusses the Obama administration's efforts to control the ever-rising costs of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program, which has grown from $2.3 billion in 2004 to nearly $7 billion this year. The consequence is that HIV patients already receiving care can continue (so far), but in some places, no more new patients can be added to antiretroviral treatment programs.
"People are struggling to find resources to honor the commitments we have made,'' Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, said in an interview. "We're not at a cap point yet. If it gets worse, we'll have another discussion.''
The article points out that the effects of the cost-cutting measures are beginning to be felt in parts of Africa. "Virtually every day, we have to turn away patients who need treatment, including breast-feeding women,'' said Dr. Peter Mugyenyi, a prominent AIDS specialist in Uganda. "We have to tell them ‘There is a freeze.' ''
IRIN: Funding Crunch Threatens ARV Rollout
The articles, DRC: Funding Crunch Threatens ARV Rollout, states only 10 percent of people--35,000 people--in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who need antiretrovirals (ARVs) have access to them. "The main reason for the low numbers on treatment is lack of funding," said Corinne Benazech, coordinator of the HIV/AIDS project for Médecins Sans Frontières.
Many large donor projects, including PEPFAR, are winding up in 2010 and 2011. Aid workers in the DRC are worried that the country is facing a very real possibility of ARV shortages and rising HIV mortality with little bilateral support for HIV programs.
What We Can Do
It is important that the U.S. government and other international donors honor their pledged commitments to support people living with HIV/AIDS despite economic constraints. We have been working with other global health organizations to address Obama's proposed Global Health Initiative and highlight the need for increased funds for all of the included global health priorities, including for HIV prevention and treatment. Some global health advocates and legislators both in the U.S. and abroad are pushing for a currency transaction levy to fund global health programs. In the U.S., this small tax on sales of the U.S. dollar (0.005%) is being proposed to fund both global health and climate change initiatives.
More information about the currency transaction levy and how to support it is coming soon on our blog.
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