[Pharm-policy] Activists Protest U.S. Paltry Global AIDS Contribution
Mike Palmedo
mpalmedo@cptech.org
Fri May 11 10:55:05 2001
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Subject: PR: Activists Protest U.S. Paltry Global AIDS Contribution
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Health GAP Coalition
PO Box 22439 Philadelphia PA 19110
(215) 731-1844 tel | (215) 731-1845 fax
www.globaltreatmentaccess.org
www.healthgap.org
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: On site: Eric Sawyer, Kate Krauss (917) 951-5758; Paul Davis
(215) 474-6886 off site
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12 NOON PROTEST & PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE (NORTH SIDE)
May 11, 2001
BUSH AIDS PLAN: PR SPECTACLE INSTEAD OF DESPERATELY NEEDED MONEY FOR
AIDS IN AFRICA
Activists Denounce Bush's Announcement of $200 million Contribution,
One-Tenth of U.S. Funding Needed, Calling it Shameful
(Washington DC) Activists for US AIDS funding will hold a protest
and joint press conference with ACT UP and other groups that have
sought to get AIDS drugs into developing nations. The press
conference will take place outside the White House at 12 noon today.
The groups are denouncing Bush's plan to contribute only $200 million
contribution towards the new UN AIDS Global Fund-- a fund which,
according to Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs and UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, requires 7 to 10 BILLION dollars to confront the
escalating global AIDS crisis. International relief organizations had
called on the US to contribute about $2 billion to the fund.
The Bush administration has also decided to deny increased funding
for the Ryan White CARE Act, despite infection rates among
African-American gay men of 30% in US urban areas.
Activists noted that the low US contribution to the Global Fund may
cripple its prospects with other donors. The World Bank Trust Fund
faced difficulty last year because the small US contribution had a
chilling effect on other contributor nations. Such a small
contribution from the world's wealthiest country may undermine the
International UN AIDS Fund at a critical juncture when wealthy
countries and donors are calculating how much to contribute. By
setting the bar this low (one-tenth of needed funding), activists
believe that President Bush and Secretary Powell send a message to
other donors that 30 million people with AIDS without access to
medicine are not worth the investment and should be allowed to die
(as some public officials are already saying privately).
"It sends a message to other wealthy nations that this UN trust fund
-- and the lives it could save -- are not worth the investment," said
Eric Sawyer of the Health GAP Coalition who attended a meeting last
week in Geneva with UNAIDS which included government officials and
public health experts.
(more)
Said ACT UP member Kate Krauss, ""Bush's White House ceremony this
morning was a farce. It was designed to give the public the idea that
the US is doing something about
AIDS in Africa. But today's announcement will mean only $7 for each
person dying of AIDS in subSaharan Africa, with less than $3 going to
AIDS drugs. It may pay for lunch for a few days, but it's not going
to buy AIDS drugs and it won't keep anyone from dying. In fact, since
other countries take their cue from the US, this announcement may be
dooming the trust fund's future and selling out millions of dying
people. Now other countries may not step up to the plate either. And
Bush shows incredible hubris in trying to paper over this
embarrassment with a White House ceremony."
Activists at the press conference will hold signs that read "Tax cuts
for millionaires, nothing left for AIDS," and "Billions for star
wars, pennies for global AIDS."
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's newly announced Global AIDS "war
chest" would fund HIV prevention and treatment, as well as medicines
for malaria and tuberculosis. The proposed $200 million is less than
1% of the proposed $1.35 trillion tax cut that will largely benefit
the richest citizens of the richest nation in the world. Activists
note that it is also fraction of the $30 to $40 billion defense
allocation slated for faulty Osprey helicopters.
"The recent announcements and foot-dragging indicate the Bush
Administration is not addressing this crisis with meaningful funds,
policies, or standards," said Asia Russell of Health GAP.
"Underfunding the AIDS trust fund is shameful. The Bush
administration is leading, alright--they are leading the world away
from helping millions of people."
The Bush Administration intends to lobby for donations from
corporations, in an effort to deflect overall attention from the
paltry US contribution with an infusion of corporate charity. Already
the lack of commitment from the Bush Administration to the UN Fund
has had a chilling effect, as other G-8 nations have de-emphasized
their support of the fund, or have announced significant reductions
in the amounts of earlier donation proposals.
HEALTH GAP COLITION DEMANDS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION:
o Allocate $2 billion in new US money to the UN fund for AIDS
treatment, care and prevention
o Establish parity in financial support for treatment and
prevention Support global AIDS drug distribution and procurement at
lowest prices, including access to generics
o Immediately call on the IMF and World Bank to use its own
resources to cancel debt owed by the world's poorest countries; the
US must also call on the World Bank to abandon its support for user
fees for health care and education
o Immediately end the WTO dispute against Brazil's over compulsory
licensing and Brazil's domestic patent law
o Support the creation of health exceptions to trade agreements,
such as the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement).
#30#
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--></style><title>PR: Activists Protest U.S. Paltry Global AIDS
Contribu</title></head><body>
<div><font color="#000000">Health GAP Coalition<br>
PO Box 22439 Philadelphia PA 19110<br>
(215) 731-1844 tel | (215) 731-1845 fax</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">www.globaltreatmentaccess.org</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">www.healthgap.org<br>
<br>
PRESS RELEASE<br>
<br>
CONTACT: On site: Eric Sawyer, Kate Krauss (917) 951-5758; Paul Davis
(215) 474-6886 off site<br>
<br>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
<br>
12 NOON PROTEST & PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE
(NORTH SIDE)<br>
<br>
May 11, 2001</font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">BUSH AIDS PLAN: PR SPECTACLE INSTEAD OF
DESPERATELY NEEDED MONEY FOR AIDS IN AFRICA</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000">Activists Denounce Bush's Announcement of
$200 million Contribution,<br>
One-Tenth of U.S. Funding Needed, Calling it Shameful</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br>
(Washington DC) Activists for US AIDS funding will hold a
protest and joint press conference with ACT UP and other groups that
have sought to get AIDS drugs into developing nations. The press
conference will take place outside the White House at 12 noon today.
The groups are denouncing Bush's plan to contribute only $200 million
contribution towards the new UN AIDS Global Fund-- a fund which,
according to Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs and UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, requires 7 to 10 BILLION dollars to confront the
escalating global AIDS crisis. International relief organizations had
called on the US to contribute about $2 billion to the fund.<br>
<br>
The Bush administration has also decided to deny increased funding for
the Ryan White CARE Act, despite infection rates among
African-American gay men of 30% in US urban areas.<br>
<br>
Activists noted that the low US contribution to the Global Fund may
cripple its prospects with other donors. The World Bank Trust
Fund faced difficulty last year because the small US contribution had
a chilling effect on other contributor nations. Such a small
contribution from the world's wealthiest country may undermine the
International UN AIDS Fund at a critical juncture when wealthy
countries and donors are calculating how much to contribute. By
setting the bar this low (one-tenth of needed funding), activists
believe that President Bush and Secretary Powell send a message to
other donors that 30 million people with AIDS without access to
medicine are not worth the investment and should be allowed to die (as
some public officials are already saying privately).<br>
<br>
"It sends a message to other wealthy nations that this UN trust
fund -- and the lives it could save -- are not worth the investment,"
said Eric Sawyer of the Health GAP Coalition who attended a meeting
last week in Geneva with UNAIDS which included government officials
and public health experts.<br>
<br>
(more)<br>
Said ACT UP member Kate Krauss, ""Bush's White House
ceremony this morning was a farce. It was designed to give the public
the idea that the US is doing something about<br>
AIDS in Africa. But today's announcement will mean only $7 for each
person dying of AIDS in subSaharan Africa, with less than $3 going to
AIDS drugs. It may pay for lunch for a few days, but it's not going to
buy AIDS drugs and it won't keep anyone from dying. In fact, since
other countries take their cue from the US, this announcement may be
dooming the trust fund's future and selling out millions of dying
people. Now other countries may not step up to the plate either. And
Bush shows incredible hubris in trying to paper over this
embarrassment with a White House ceremony."<br>
<br>
Activists at the press conference will hold signs that read "Tax
cuts for millionaires, nothing left for AIDS," and "Billions
for star wars, pennies for global AIDS."<br>
<br>
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's newly announced Global AIDS
"war chest" would fund HIV prevention and treatment, as well
as medicines for malaria and tuberculosis. The proposed $200 million
is less than 1% of the proposed $1.35 trillion tax cut that will
largely benefit the richest citizens of the richest nation in the
world. Activists note that it is also fraction of the $30 to $40
billion defense allocation slated for faulty Osprey helicopters.<br>
<br>
"The recent announcements and foot-dragging indicate the Bush
Administration is not addressing this crisis with meaningful funds,
policies, or standards," said Asia Russell of Health GAP.
"Underfunding the AIDS trust fund is shameful. The Bush
administration is leading, alright--they are leading the world away
from helping millions of people."</font></div>
<div><font color="#000000"><br>
The Bush Administration intends to lobby for donations from
corporations, in an effort to deflect overall attention from the
paltry US contribution with an infusion of corporate charity. Already
the lack of commitment from the Bush Administration to the UN Fund has
had a chilling effect, as other G-8 nations have de-emphasized their
support of the fund, or have announced significant reductions in the
amounts of earlier donation proposals.<br>
<br>
HEALTH GAP COLITION DEMANDS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION:<br>
<br>
o Allocate $2 billion in new US money to the
UN fund for AIDS treatment, care and prevention<br>
<br>
o Establish parity in financial support
for treatment and prevention Support global AIDS drug distribution and
procurement at lowest prices, including access to generics<br>
<br>
o Immediately call on the IMF and World Bank to use its
own resources to cancel debt owed by the world's poorest countries;
the US must also call on the World Bank to abandon its support for
user fees for health care and education<br>
<br>
o Immediately end the WTO dispute against Brazil's over
compulsory licensing and Brazil's domestic patent law<br>
<br>
o Support the creation of health exceptions to trade agreements,
such as the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement).<br>
<br>
#30#</font></div>
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