"Great Gains" Made in Global Health but More Needs to Be Accomplished, Advocate Says

Recent successes in increasing the treatment and decreasing the incidence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria, along with other global health advances, "is thanks to the hard work and cooperation of people from many different walks of life: politicians of all stripes, business leaders, grassroots activists, clergy, health workers, government agencies and many more," Deborah Derrick, president of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, writes in the Huffington Post "Impact" blog. She says the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been "[c]entral" to these developments, and the "U.S. government has been a crucial leader in supporting international health and the Global Fund." She adds, "Sustained commitment will ensure more lifesaving success." Derrick also recognizes the work of doctors and businesses.

"Thanks to the Global Fund and global health programs such as PEPFAR and [the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI)], we have made great gains in the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria," Derrick writes, adding, "Yet there is still so much left to be done." She continues, "Responsibility for a healthier future lies with no one person or group but, rather, with all of us. There are different roles to play, but none of us can afford to back down." She concludes, "As a global community we have accomplished so much over the past decade. With renewed dedication and ambition, just imagine what we might be able to accomplish together in the decade to come" (11/9).

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