Aids Treatment, Is It Worth The Investment?

What does the long-term future hold for the global fight against Aids and HIV? With a drop in funding, it is clear that Aids is a in a losing battle with wealthy governments. Cuts of course will be made in all areas, but many Aids campaigners are hopeful in that the UK will make up for the deficit in contributions to the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB, and Malaria.

Campaigners and treatment providers in poor countries do believe that if funding were to cease, there is concern regarding potential resistance to the Aids treatment if not administered continuously. This will no doubt set them ten steps back from where they first began.

With that said, a new study published by the free-access journal PloS One revealed that investing in Aids treatment programs will not only be the right thing to do to save lives, but it also makes an economic case in that it actually saves money. Treatments were given to 3.5 million people in 98 countries. The results showed that the benefits far outweighed the costs. Individuals who received treatment had a restored sense of productivity of those able to work again and are more able to provide and care for their families.

Spending $14.2 billion may seem a bit much to assist 3.5 million people with antiretroviral drugs, but with large health gains generated and economic benefits of treatment, it could more than double their initial investment. So, is it worth it?

-Georisa Chang

Source: The Guardian

Bill and Melinda Gates on 60 Minutes

Sunday Bill and Melinda Gates were featured on 60 Minutes in a montage of interviews and videos in which they discussed their plans for charitable investments domestically and around the world through their foundation.

The plan is to give away $60 billion. Part of this money will go towards funding The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s global priorities which are HIV/AIDS, malaria, and mother and child deaths. While those are the priorities, the Foundation is also working to eradicate polio where it still exists.

With the opening of The Global Fund’s replenishment meeting today, it is a good time to ask yourself how you would give away that much money. Once you have answered that question, take action. Call your congressional leaders in favor of foreign assistance laws. Call the White House in favor of a higher Global Fund pledge. Most of us are not billionaire philanthropists; however, collectively, we still have the power to create change. As for Melinda Gates, she is less worried about the amount of money they invest than with the result that is going to come from that investment.

-Kelli Hanson

SOURCE: CBS News

Join the Baby Protest

ONE International is staging a Baby Protest. You may rightly be wondering what in the world a baby protest entails. Well, this Baby Protest is a campaign to ensure that no babies are born with HIV by 2015. The protest began at the UN Summit last week, where ONE and other advocacy organizations passed the message on to world leaders. Born HIV Free (a campaign for the Global Fund) also staged a very poignant campaign during the Summit (see video above). However, these campaigns are just beginning.

October 4-5 is the Second Meeting of the Third Voluntary Replenishment of the Global Fund. The Global Fund is a world monetary fund dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Donor countries along with private sector donors will meet to discuss the progress that has been made as well as to pledge more money for the Fund. Since 2002, the Fund has disbursed US$ 19.3 billion for over 572 programs in 144 countries. While this has tremendously helped the fight against these diseases, the bottom line is that more than 1,000 babies per day are still being born with HIV.

The Baby Protest and Born HIV Free are campaigning to end this. To learn more about the Baby Protest or to join go to ONE’s website. You can also act now by visiting Born HIV Free’s website. Both are great resources for learning about the cause and joining the fight against it. We can all help end mother to child transmission of HIV by 2015!

-Kelli Hanson

SOURCE: ONE Blog, The Global Fund