[Ip-health] G8 statement -- Fight against infectious diseases

[James Love]

http://en.g8russia.ru/docs/10.html

G8 Summit, 2006

Fight against infectious diseases

St.Petersburg, July 16, 2006

1.  A vigorous response to the threat of infectious diseases, the
leading cause of death worldwide, is essential to global development
and to the well-being of the world's population. Major diseases such
as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and measles continue to exact a
heavy toll on economies and societies around the world, particularly
in developing countries, impeding achievement of Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). For a large number of these diseases there
are still no effective drugs, vaccines or other treatment available
for the majority of the population in less developed countries. The
situation is especially acute in least developed countries,
particularly in Africa where governments and their people face
limited access to prevention and essential healthcare information,
inadequate capacity of healthcare systems, the shortage and
significant outflow of qualified health workers, resource
constraints, and often inadequate nutrition, clean water, and
sanitation. Compounding these challenges, the recent emergence of
highly pathogenic avian influenza, with the accompanying possibility
of a human pandemic, demands our immediate attention. Effective,
coordinated and comprehensive action is necessary to combat all
infectious diseases.

2. To address these challenges, we, the G8 Leaders, are determined to
achieve tangible progress in the following areas:

     * improved international cooperation on the surveillance and
monitoring of infectious diseases, including better coordination
between the animal and human health communities, building laboratory
capacities, and full transparency by all nations in sharing, on a
timely basis, virus samples in accordance with national and
international regulations and conventions, and other relevant
information about the outbreaks of diseases;
     * intensification of scientific research and exchanges in the
area of infectious diseases, with a special attention given to
involving scientists from developing countries in international
scientific research programs;
     * support for efforts by the relevant international
organizations to respond effectively to outbreaks of avian influenza
and to help the global community prepare for a possible human
influenza pandemic, including timely implementation of the
commitments made at the January 2006 Beijing International Pledging
Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza;
     * fulfillment of prior G8 commitments on the major infectious
diseases, in particular by mobilizing support for the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; continuing to pursue as close
as possible to universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment for all who
need it by 2010; supporting the Global Plan to Stop TB; providing
resources in cooperation with African countries to scale up action
against malaria; continuing to expand the Global HIV Vaccine
Enterprise; and continuing our support for the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative so that the planet can be declared polio-free
within the next few years;
     * improved access to prevention and treatment of diseases for
those in need, through assistance programs focused on strengthening
the capacity of health systems and the training, deployment, and
retention of qualified health workers; and through innovative
clinical research programs, private-public partnerships, and other
innovative mechanisms;
     * support for efforts by work with relevant international
organizations to mitigate the health consequences of emergencies,
including natural and man-made disasters, including through better
coordination and capacity building.

Strengthening the Global Network for Surveillance and Monitoring of
Infectious Diseases

3. Effective monitoring of infectious diseases, which includes timely
reporting, sharing of samples in accordance with national and
international regulations, conventions and the exchange of reliable
data on outbreaks with the aim of leaving no populated area
uncovered, are an essential part of preventing and fighting
epidemics. New infectious diseases, along with new strains of already
known pathogens, can be expected to emerge periodically. Recent
outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) highlight the
need for improved international cooperation in detecting such
diseases and mounting an effective response. In this regard, we
support immediate implementation of the provisions of the revised
International Health Regulations considered relevant to the risk
posed by avian and pandemic influenza. We will comply with the
provisions, including those related to rapid and transparent
notification, and to provision of essential information.

4. We will continue to support existing global networks working under
World Health Organization (WHO) auspices, such as the Global Outbreak
Alert and Response Network (GOARN). We also call upon the
international community to take such measures as are necessary to
further strengthen global surveillance mechanisms by:

     * enhancing information exchange and encouraging national
governments to provide timely and reliable information in an open and
transparent manner;
     * helping developing countries improve the capacity of their
national systems for the surveillance and monitoring of infectious
diseases, by providing technical assistance and training experts;
     * building preparedness for future emerging infectious diseases,
including through future-oriented scientific and clinical research
projects.

5. Improved cooperation between relevant organizations and experts
working in the area of human and animal health at both the national
and international levels will aid detection, identification and
timely responses to zoonotic infections.  In particular, we urge the
WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to continue to work
together on a strategic and sustainable basis, on initiatives such as
the Global Early Warning System (GLEWS). We will also seek to improve
global and regional cooperation among experts to combat illegal
wildlife trafficking, which is contributing to the spread of zoonotic
diseases.

6. An accelerated and more broad-based program of scientific and
clinical research will be of central importance in our battle against
infectious diseases. In this effort, we will aim to increase
scientific cooperation with developing countries, encourage
partnerships between experts and laboratories of developing and
developed countries, and increase the scientific potential in
countries of all income levels. We encourage organizations that fund
scientific research to expand the participation of experts from
developing countries wherever possible, and to overcome barriers that
may inappropriately limit such participation. By expanding ties with
developing countries institutions for the application of research
findings in those countries, we can help prepare the current and
future generations of scientists in developing countries to function
and excel in a global environment. Such programs should include
training in designing and managing ethical clinical trials.

Fighting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Increasing Global
Preparedness for a Human Pandemic

7. The threat of an influenza pandemic has already affected economies
and raised concerns globally. Serious outbreaks of highly pathogenic
avian influenza have been registered in many regions and continue to
spread rapidly. It is possible that the H5N1 virus, or another one
like it, could transmit from human-to-human. This underscores the
need to be adequately prepared and equipped, including to ensure
societal and business continuity.

8. We also recognize the importance of strong coordination between
human and animal health services. Improved readiness to fight animal
outbreaks is important. We recognize a need to strengthen animal
health services and laboratories, encourage better monitoring of the
wild animal population, enhance virus detection and research, improve
inspection and support outbreak containment plans through the
teaching of good farming practices.

9. We recognize the need to employ the quickest possible initial
response from the outset of any human pandemic influenza. In this
regard, we encourage rapid progress by the WHO to prepare a Protocol
for Rapid Response and Containment.

10. We recognize and appreciate the leading roles of the WHO, FAO,
and OIE in the global response to highly pathogenic avian influenza,
and in helping countries prepare for a potential human pandemic.  We
will continue to provide full support for their efforts, and for
those of the international financial institutions such as the World
Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the International Monetary
Fund. In this regard, we welcome the initiative launched by the FAO
and OIE to develop a more effective platform for the global emergency
response to animal outbreaks of the avian influenza virus, including
through the establishment of a Global Crisis Management Center for
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, and the use of international rapid
response and assessment teams under OIE/FAO auspices. We call upon
potential donors to support this initiative.

11. A robust and comprehensive program of assistance to vulnerable
affected countries, particularly those in the developing world, is an
essential part of our global response to avian and pandemic
influenza.  At the International Pledging Conference on Avian and
Human Influenza, held in Beijing in January 2006, the international
donor community rose to the occasion with generous commitments. We
call upon all donors to honor their commitments, and to do so in a
timely fashion.

12. At the Beijing Conference, we also emphasized the need for
effective coordination of efforts to combat avian influenza and the
risk of human influenza pandemics at the national, regional and
international levels. In this regard, we encourage and support the
continued work of the UN, the World Bank, and the International
Partnership for Avian and Pandemic Influenza. We pledge to coordinate
our international investments to fight the spread and impact of the
disease. We welcome the progress achieved by the June 6-7, 2006
Partnership meeting in Vienna.

13. In addition to ongoing initiatives, we will support such efforts
through the following actions:

     * working with the WHO, FAO, and other UN agencies to update
global avian influenza and pandemic influenza control strategies and
preparedness plans; establish standard operating procedures and
logistical arrangements, using existing technical networks; and to
encourage robust arrangements for the quickest possible reporting;
     * supporting efforts to increase worldwide production capacity
for, and stockpiling of, antivirals;
     * working with pharmaceutical companies to examine options for
increasing production capacities for vaccines, and encouraging
development of next generation influenza vaccines;
     * supporting capacity building in the most vulnerable countries
in disease-surveillance and early warning systems, including
enhancement of diagnostic capacity and virus research, by helping
them to develop their national plans, build relevant infrastructure,
train experts, strengthen veterinary services and laboratories and
mitigate the socio-economic impact of control measures;
     * raising awareness among populations, and enhancing public
education programs in all countries at risk;
     * exchanging timely information and samples, in accordance with
national and international regulations and conventions, related to
the occurrence of avian influenza in our countries on a timely basis
with the international community, and developing and using best
practices for influenza preparedness, surveillance and control;
     * using reference and national laboratories for the timely
detection of avian influenza, and encouraging the establishment of
additional laboratories in epidemic-prone regions. In this regard, we
welcome the Russian proposal to establish the WHO Collaborating
Centre on Influenza for Eurasia and Central Asia, subject to meeting
all applicable WHO and other international standards, to enhance
international capacity to counter the spread of the viruses in the
region.

Recognizing the need for increased consultation and coordination in a
quick response to an outbreak, we agree to increased coordination of
preparedness, prevention, response, and containment activities among
nations.

Combating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

14. HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria cause millions of
preventable deaths each year and undermine socio-economic development
in many parts of the world, especially in Africa. We pledge our
continued support to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS), the WHO, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria (the Global Fund), the World Bank and other organizations,
initiatives and partnerships actively working to fight these diseases.

15. Confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been one of our top
priorities for many years.  We addressed this issue at the Kyushu-
Okinawa Summit in 2000 and at the 2001 Genoa Summit, when we endorsed
the establishment of the Global Fund, and with the adoption of the
Declaration of Commitment to Fight HIV/AIDS by the United Nations
General Assembly later in 2001. We have made progress since then, but
combating this disease will continue to be one of our top priorities.
We remain committed to halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS,
as called for in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), and to the objectives outlined in the Gleneagles Summit
Communiqu=C3=A9, and the call in the United Nations General Assembly
Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS of June 2006 for scaling up
significantly towards the goal of universal access to comprehensive
prevention programs, treatment, care and support by 2010.

16. We welcome the focus by the Africa Partnership Forum on HIV/AIDS
this year, as well as the first Conference on HIV/AIDS in Eastern
Europe and Central Asia in May 2006 in Moscow and we look forward to
the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006,
where the world community will address the theme 'Time to Deliver.'

17. In our response to HIV/AIDS, we will adhere to the following
principles:

     * further promotion of a comprehensive and well-balanced
approach to tackling HIV/AIDS, which includes prevention, treatment
and care;
     * continued involvement of all relevant partners, including
civil society, the private sector and people living with HIV/AIDS, in
the activities to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to reduce stigma
and discrimination against people with this disease;
     * scale up support to address the rising rates of HIV infection
among young people, particularly young girls and women;
     * supporting the continued implementation of comprehensive,
evidence-based strategies of prevention, and the development of new
and innovative methods of prevention, such as microbicides, and
vaccines against the diseases that increase the risk of HIV
transmission;
     * facilitating access to prevention, treatment and care for the
most vulnerable segments of the population;
     * building the capacity of health care systems in poor countries
through recruitment, training and deployment of public and private
health workers; and raising public awareness of the existing threat
in all countries affected.

18. The Global Fund is an important instrument in the battle against
HIV/AIDS. We will work with other donors and stakeholders in the
effort to secure funds needed for the 2006-2007 replenishment period
and call upon all concerned to participate actively in the
development of a four-year strategy, aimed at building a solid
foundation for the activities of the Fund in the years ahead.

The G8 members will work with governments and technical agencies to
support the preparation of high quality, timely proposals for Global
Fund AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grants.

19. The impact of HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria has been particularly
severe in Africa, where these  three deadly diseases exist side-by-
side with a plethora of other deadly, endemic infections. Efforts by
African nations to deal with these problems, strengthen their public
and private healthcare systems and reduce the likelihood of epidemics
on the continent require continued meaningful and concerted support
from the international community. We reaffirm our partnership with
African nations and with the African Union, and will continue to work
with them to deliver on the goals of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD), to improve health systems overall and to fight
infectious diseases.

20. We remain committed to our Sea Island Summit initiative on
creation of a Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, and reaffirm our
determination to bring it to fruition. We are convinced that there is
a need to enhance the scientific and technical capacities in this
area at the global, regional and national levels. In this regard, we
welcome the Russian proposal to establish a regional coordination
mechanism to promote HIV vaccine development in the countries of
Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and call for this initiative to be
carefully coordinated with the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. We also
welcome  coordination of activities and the cooperation between the
Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise and other global initiatives and North/
South partnerships active in this field, such as the European and
Developing countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) on clinical
trials in Africa.

21. One-third of the world's population is exposed to the risk of
contracting TB, which claims about two million lives each year. In
certain regions, it affects more people today than it did twenty
years ago. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the Genoa Summit in
2001 to halt the spread of this disease. We will also support the
Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-2015, which aims to cut TB deaths in
half by the year 2015 compared to 1990 levels, saving some 14 million
lives over ten years, and call upon all donors and stakeholders to
contribute to its effective implementation.

22. We note with concern the rate of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis co-
infection and seek to promote unified coordination for activities in
this regard.

23. Annually, more than 300 million people throughout the world
contract malaria. Over one million die of malaria each year. Children
who live in Sub-Saharan Africa account for at least 80% of those
deaths. African countries suffer economic losses from malaria
estimated at 12 billion dollars annually. The tragedy is that malaria
is both preventable and treatable with proven, cost-effective
interventions.

24. The fight against malaria can save hundreds of thousands of
lives, and bring new hope to countries that have been devastated by
this terrible disease. To address this urgent situation, we:

     * reaffirm our commitment to work with African countries to
scale up malaria control interventions, reduce the burden of the
disease, and eventually defeat malaria on the continent and meet the
Abuja target of halving the burden of malaria by 2010
     * agree to strengthen malaria control activities and programs in
African countries with the objective of achieving significant public
health impact;
     * will collaborate with governments, private sector companies
and non-governmental organizations in public-private partnerships to
expand malaria interventions and programs;
     * support the development of new, safe, and effective drugs,
creation of a vaccine, and promotion of the widest possible
availability of prevention and treatment to people in need;
     * welcome efforts in the framework of the "Roll Back Malaria
Partnership" and support activities of public and private entities to
save children from the disease.

25. Finally, we commit ourselves to a regular review of our work in
the field of tackling these three pandemics.

Polio Eradication


26. Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
(GPEI) in 1988, we have made considerable progress. Presently, polio
is endemic in a very small number of countries. There are sound
reasons to believe that as a result of unprecedented measures taken
by the international community, the world is now at the threshold of
eradicating this disease.

27. We urgently call for mobilization of financial support and will
continue to work collectively and with bilateral and multilateral
donors to close the funding gap for 2007-2008, and will continue to
work with others towards securing the resources necessary to finish
the program and declare our planet polio-free in the near future.

28. The existing polio monitoring network is a valuable resource. We
will work with other donors and stakeholders to maintain this network
after polio has been eradicated, with a view to supporting other
public health objectives, in particular those related to disease
monitoring.

Measles and Other Preventable Diseases

29. Measles remains a major cause of child mortality among the
vaccine-preventable diseases. We will continue our support for the
Measles Initiative launched in 2001 and will work towards a steady
decrease in the number of measles-related deaths, progress in halting
the spread of measles in regions and countries, and its eventual
elimination.

30. We will assist the Global Measles Partnership and encourage the
WHO to continue to implement its plans on measles prevention and
elimination, as mandated by the World Health Assembly in 2004, and to
propose measures donors and national governments should take to reach
and maintain a high level of immunity to measles.

31. We must also increase our efforts in the fight against other
preventable diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhea and neglected
diseases such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and onchocerciasis,
particularly by increasing the volume and quality of medical research
on neglected diseases in developing countries.

Access to Prevention, Treatment and Care

32. Improved access to means of prevention and treatment and care in
many countries is essential to curbing infectious diseases, notably
HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and to reducing their negative impact on
development. We raised this issue in Evian in 2003. In this respect,
we note the possibility of WTO Members to use the flexibilities in
the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property
Rights (TRIPS Agreement),  as well as the compulsory licensing
solution of 30 August, 2003 to enable developing countries without
manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical sector to import
medicines they need. We note that despite certain achievements, many
countries still cannot get access to safe, effective and affordable
medicines for those in need.

33. The limited capacity of health systems is a major barrier to
coming as close as possible to universal access to treatment for
those who need it by 2010 and has an impact on other related health
outcomes such as maternal mortality and mother-to-child transmission
of HIV/AIDS, hindering comprehensive, effective, evidence-based
prevention, and providing care. In this regard, we agree to continue
to support efforts by developing country partners, particularly in
Africa, to ensure that initiatives to reduce the burden of disease
are built on sustainable health systems. We will also continue to
emphasize the training, deployment and retention of health workers in
our health sector assistance programs. In this regard, we take note
of the creation of the Global Health Workforce Alliance, and
encourage further work by the WHO and other donor organizations in
this area.

34. We call for a wider use of strategies and tools that promote
investment in the research, development and production of vaccines,
microbicides and drugs for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other
diseases, and that assist in scaling up access to these means of
prevention and treatment through innovative clinical research
programs, private-public partnerships and other innovative
mechanisms. In this regard, we take note of the steps taken on
voluntary innovating financing mechanisms and other funding
initiatives, the details of which are set out in the annex.

In order to stimulate active involvement of the pharmaceutical
industry, we are committed to strengthening cooperation with
regulatory authorities in developing countries and to working with
them on identifying appropriate standards and pathways for swift
regulatory approval of new prevention and treatment methods.

35. We call for wider recognition of the rapidly increasing problem
of antimicrobial drug resistance that has already rendered a growing
number of infectious diseases harder and more costly to treat with
available drugs. We encourage increased mobilization of efforts to
address this problem of global dimensions.

36. Access to health care in developing countries could be
significantly enhanced through a wider range of financing options
including health insurance programs. We encourage stepped-up
discussion at the international level on practical approaches to the
expansion of public, private and community-based health insurance
coverage in developing countries, learning from the successes
achieved by both developed and developing countries in this regard.
We invite the OECD and appropriate organizations to work on this
issue. We welcome France's offer to host a high level meeting on this
issue by the end of 2006.

37. Finally, we encourage governments around the world to consider
eliminating import tariffs and non-tariff barriers on medicines and
medical devices, where appropriate, as a measure to reduce further
the cost of healthcare for the poor, and expand their access to
effective treatments.

Health Consequences of Natural and Man-Made Disasters

38. Natural disasters alone can result in tens of thousands of deaths
and adversely affect the lives of millions of people. Over the last
25 years, natural disasters have caused over US $100 billion worth of
material damage. The tsunami that hit dozens of countries in
South=E2=80=91East Asia, South Asia and East Africa in 2004, the hurricane
seasons that ravaged the United States coastal areas, Mexico, Central
American and Caribbean states in 2004 and 2005, the October 2005
earthquake in South Asia, and the May 2006 earthquake in Indonesia
were terrible ordeals for the people affected by them.

39. We focused on the issue of disaster risk reduction at Gleneagles
and outlined the need for a series of practical measures, in
particular through strengthened early-warning systems, as well as
improved coordination and prompt humanitarian relief efforts.

40. We reaffirm the importance of the coordinating role played by the
UN in the area of humanitarian emergency response through its Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and seek to
further enhance the effectiveness of United Nations entities in
tracking and coordinating assistance to the affected countries.

41. We welcome the decisions on health actions in crises and
disasters taken at the 2005 UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction
in Hyogo, Japan and at the 58th World Health Assembly.

42. Given the potential for the breakdown of public health services
as a result of natural and man-made disasters, we support actions
aimed at improving the preparedness and capacity of healthcare
systems to meet health challenges posed by emergencies, especially in
developing countries.

43. In this regard, we welcome the resolution of the 59th World
Health Assembly on Emergency Preparedness and Response and, in
particular, its emphasis on the need to ensure that WHO, within its
mandate, is able to respond to emergencies and crises; to implement
measures to enhance WHO participation in the overall humanitarian
response through existing mechanisms, as well as a global database of
authoritative technical health references aiming to facilitate health
sector response to emergencies and crises; to establish and maintain
a tracking service that will monitor and assess mortality rates in
emergencies in collaboration with relevant organizations of the
United Nations system and other partners; to take part in UN-wide
mechanisms for logistics and supply management that would assure
immediate mobilization of vital supplies in emergencies and crises.

44. We commit to strengthen existing networks aimed at mitigating
health consequences of natural and man-made disasters, including
through effective use of rapid response teams, where appropriate, and
helping disaster-prone developing countries build their own
capacities in this area.


Annex


Canada

Canada will contribute C$450 million between 2006-2016 to support
country-led efforts to strengthen health systems and improve health
outcomes in Africa.

Canada is ready to contribute C$100 million to support an Advance
Market Commitments pilot project to develop a vaccine for
pneumococcal disease.

Canada will contribute C$250 million in 2006 to the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) to support 2006-07
activities. Canada has committed C$800 million to support efforts to
fight HIV/AIDS since 2000.  Other recent Canadian initiatives include
C$160 million for the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
(GAVI), C$62 million to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and
C$5 million to the African AIDS Vaccine Programme. Canada has also
committed C$15 million to the International Partnership for
Microbicides.

Canada will contribute C$57 million to support the international
response to avian influenza, and to prepare for potential future
pandemics.

In 2006, Canada will contribute C$45 million to the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative.

European Commission

Since the Creation of the Global Fund in 2001 the EC will have
contributed =E2=82=AC 522 million by the end of 2006, with =E2=82=AC 90 mil=
lion
allocated in 2006 alone.

In 2002-2006, the EC will have spent =E2=82=AC 420 million on research
targeted at the three main communicable diseases - HIV/AIDS, malaria
and tuberculosis a four-fold increase in comparison to the previous
four-year period.

The European Commission pledged =E2=82=AC100 million at the Beijing
Conference in January 2006 to confront avian influenza and prepare
for a possible human pandemic, with additional =E2=82=AC111 million pledged
by the EU Member States.  =E2=82=AC 20 million of European Commission's
pledge is targeted to support of scientific research projects, with a
further =E2=82=AC 80 million devoted to assistance projects.

As regards polio eradication, the European Commission has provided =E2=82=
=AC
61 million to finance supplementary immunization activities in
countries with endemic transmission - Nigeria, Niger and Somalia. In
Nigeria this support was provided on top of already existing support
of =E2=82=AC 118 million for immunization and polio eradication. Additional
funding of =E2=82=AC 15 million to support eradication activities needed in
Ethiopia.

France

France will spend =E2=82=AC 1,4 billion for the period 2006-2008 for
multilateral actions related to the fight against emerging and
transmissible diseases.

Regarding innovative financing, France has launched an air ticket
solidarity contribution, which so far 17 countries expressed their
intention to endorse. At least 90 percent of the proceeds of this
contribution (estimated to around =E2=82=AC 200 million a year), which is
effective from 1 July, will finance an international drug purchase
facility-UNITAID, aimed at ensuring an uninterrupted supply of pre-
qualified products at reduced price for beneficiary countries. The
IDPF-UNITAID will be launched at the time of the UN General Assembly
in mid-September. France also contributes to the pilot International
Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), with the first bond
issuance expected to take place in 2006 in order to finance GAVI.
With a commitment of $2 billion over 20 years, France will be the
second contributor to this initiative.

France will make an increased contribution to the Global Fund (=E2=82=AC 22=
5
million in 2006 and =E2=82=AC 300 million in 2007) and will therefore be it=
s
second contributor.

For the period 2006-2007, France will spend =E2=82=AC 290 million through
its bilateral ODA for the achievement of health-related MDGs and for
the strengthening of health systems in developing countries.

Germany

Germany is actively engaged in prevention and control of infectious
diseases in developing countries.

The German government annually spends =E2=82=AC 300 million on prevention
and control of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and health system
development. Germany ranks fifth in the international bilateral donor
community on combating polio and has committed =E2=82=AC 39 million of new
bilateral funds.

For efforts to fight Avian Influenza, Germany has committed
approximately =E2=82=AC 40 million for bilateral programs in Asia and
Africa, for vaccine development and for support for a global crises-
reaction-mechanism.

With =E2=82=AC 800 million is the largest door for bilateral water projects
which is a very important pillar in fighting infectious diseases.

Germany is also promoting research into treatments that are of
special interest to developing countries.

Italy


Italy has put forward a market-based mechanism to foster research and
development of new vaccines against infectious diseases that mostly
hit poor countries: Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Together with
GAVI ad the World Bank, a pilot project has been developed that can
be launched in 2006.

Italy is also actively participating in the financing of several
multilateral/ bilateral initiatives fighting Malaria, Polio,
Tuberculosis, Avian flu and other infectious diseases.

Italy will provide 600million USD to the IFFim over 20 years and
contribute 460 million euros to Global Fund in the period 2004-2007.

These specific contributions are made following a more general
approach of substantial support for the strengthening of national
health systems and of monitoring and prevention capabilities in
developing countries.

Japan

Japan launched the =E2=80=98Health and Development' Initiative in June 2005
aiming to provide up to US$ 5 billion over five years from 2005 to
2009 to combat infectious diseases and other threats to health in the
developing countries, out of which more than US$ 620 million has been
disbursed during the fiscal year 2005.

In June 2005, Japan pledged to contribute US$ 500 million to the
Global Fund in the coming years, and contributed US$ 130 million to
the Fund in March 2006 as the first step to fulfill this commitment.

To combat avian and human pandemic influenza, Japan pledged US$ 155
million on the occasion of the International Pledging Conference on
Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza held in January 2006 in Beijing,
and has disbursed the full amount.

Russia

Russia and the World Bank agreed to collaborate in developing debt-
for-development swap for channelling $ 250 million freed-up from debt
service to high priority development actions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In some of these HIPC eligible countries, the World Bank is
developing important projects and programs in support of country
strategies to fight infectious diseases. Russia will join forces with
the World Bank in the fight against malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa,
and will support the World Bank-led malaria booster program that aims
to achieve tangible results by 2010. Besides that Russia and the
World Bank agreed to expand their cooperation in Central Asia to meet
the challenge of infectious diseases.

In 2005, Russia has doubled up to $40 million its pledge to the
Global Fund. Russia also intends to reimburse to the Global Fund till
2010 near US$270 million, which were distributed to fund projects in
Russian Federation.

Russia has committed to contribute US$18 million to the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative.

Russia has pledged near $45 million for efforts to prepare for,
detect, and rapidly respond to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian
influenza.

Russia welcomes progress made on Advance Market Commitments (AMC) on
vaccines and looks forward to a successful launch of the AMC pilot
project.

United Kingdom

The UK is committed to the achievement of the objectives set at
Gleneagles, including universal access to drugs against HIV/AIDS by
2010. The UK is committed to spend =E2=82=A41.5 billion on HIV/AIDS from
2005/06 to 2007/08 and will contribute =E2=82=A4360 million to the Global
Fund between 2002 and 2008. The UK also supports innovative financing
mechanisms: it will provide =E2=82=A41.4 billion over 20 years to the IFFIm
to tackle preventable diseases, and has announced that it is prepared
to make a long-term financial contribution to the IDPF-UNITAID. The
UK is prepared to make a long-term financial contribution to pilot
AMC. It supports the launch of a Pneumococcus AMC by the end of 2006
and believes that a Malaria AMC should be explored. The UK also funds
seven product development public private partnerships, which carry
out research into new drugs, vaccines and microbicides for tackling
communicable diseases.  The UK is providing =E2=82=A460 million between 200=
6
and 2008 towards the cost of eradicating polio.

United States

The United States will provide $15 billion over 5 years to support
international  HIV/AIDS programs; will contribute $90 million in
fiscal year 2006 to bilateral tuberculosis programs in over 35
countries; will increase funding for malaria prevention and treatment
by more than $1,2 billion over 5 years; has provided nearly 25
percent of Global Polio Eradication Initiative funding; has pledged
$362 million for countries to prepare for, detect, and rapidly
respond to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza; has
contributed over $1.5 billion over the past 5 years to save the lives
of children under age 5 for support for childhood vaccinations and
treatment for pneumonia and diarrhea; has awarded nearly $1 billion
in grants to U.S.-based research institutions that collaborate
directly with counterparts in developing countries to investigate,
develop, and test novel approaches to prevention, control, and
treatment of infectious diseases; and takes note of the technical
work by the World Bank and GAVI on AMC for vaccines, and supports
additional work towards a successful launch of an AMC pilot project
by the end of the year.


---------------------------------
James Love, CPTech / www.cptech.org / mailto:james.love@cptech.org /
tel. +1.202.332.2670 / mobile +1.202.361.3040

"If everyone thinks the same: No one thinks."  Bill Walton